A U.S. district judge has given the Justice Department 20 days to hand over documents and opinions related to a program that carries out warrantless spying.
The National Security Agency had been authorized by President George Bush to check communications by suspected terrorists, even if those messages are U.S.-based and the interceptions are without judicial approval. Since the program became public in December, many members of Congress and some judges have questioned its legality.
While a U.S. Senate committee refused -- after the White house agreed to additional briefings -- to open an investigation into the program, a House panel said it would be looking into whether intelligence laws need to be changed, The New York Times reported.
However, Judge Henry Kennedy said the Justice Department cannot be the entity that decides which information to surrender, even in the name of national security, The Washington Post said Friday.
Kennedy wrote: "President Bush has invited meaningful debate about the warrantless surveillance program. That can only occur if (Justice) processes its requests in a timely fashion and releases the information sought."
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