The Military Commissions Act passed by Congress last year and brokered by John McCain gave the Bush Administration enormous power to designate who is and is not an enemy combatant, denied detainees the writ of habeas corpus and immunized US officials involved in torture.

It was one of the worst pieces of legislation civil liberties groups had seen in a long time. Senator Arlen Specter predicted the Supreme Court would find it unconstitutional.

Now a group of critics in the US Senate are introducing legislation to repeal the Military Commissions Act. The “Restoring the Constitution Act of 2007,” introduced by Senators Chris Dodd, Russ Feingold, Patrick Leahy and Bob Menendez, “restores Habeas Corpus rights, bars evidence gained through torture or coercion and reinstates U.S. adherence to the Geneva Conventions in order to protect the nation’s military personnel abroad,” according to a joint press release.

“The Restoring the Constitution Act would go a long way toward restoring the moral authority and credibility of the United States as a leader in the promotion of respect for the rule of law around the world,” says Human Rights Watch. “We urge the Senate to enact this important piece of legislation into law.”