German president has doubts about law concerning hijacked aircraft

Airline Industry Information, Jan 13, 2005

AIRLINE INDUSTRY INFORMATION-(C)1997-2005 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD

The German president Horst Koehler has said that a new German law which allows the government to have hijacked aircraft shot down as a last resort may be unconstitutional.

The new law allows the German defence minister to order the military to shoot down hijacked aircraft if it is determined that other lives could be saved that way.

The president signed the new air safety bill on Wednesday (12 January), but called for a supreme court review, claiming that the German constitution does not allow the government to kill citizens even if that saves the lives of others, reported The Associated Press.

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