ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Military Commissions Act of 2006

Okay kiddo, so let me break it down for you. The Military Commissions Act is a law that was passed by the United States government in 2006.

This law was created to provide a legal framework for trying foreign individuals who were believed to have committed acts of terrorism against the United States or its allies.

Now, instead of these individuals being tried in regular civilian courts, they would be tried by a military commission – which is like a special court made up of military officers.

One of the reasons this law was created was because many of the individuals who were suspected of being involved in terrorism were being held at a place called Guantanamo Bay, which is a U.S. military base located in Cuba.

This law made it possible for these individuals to be tried for their alleged crimes in a military commission, which would be held at Guantanamo.

However, this law has been controversial because some people believe that it goes against the principles of the American justice system. In particular, some people are concerned that these individuals may not receive a fair trial because the military commissions have different rules than regular courts, and because the jurors are all military officers.

So, that's basically what the Military Commissions Act of 2006 is – it's a law that makes it possible for foreign individuals suspected of terrorism to be tried in a special military court, rather than in a regular civilian court.