The Law Society of Ireland has co-signed a letter raising concerns about the continuing detention of non-US nationals at Guantánamo Bay.
Mr Ken Murphy, director general of the society, was one of 28 people who signed the letter on behalf of bodies representing lawyers in various countries.
They include the Canadian Bar Council, the Bar Council of England and Wales, the Law Council of Australia and the German Federal Bar Association.
The letter welcomes the US Supreme Court's ruling last June to allow Guantánamo prisoners access to courts in the US to challenge the validity of their detention.
In response, the US authorities have introduced a review-panel system - as opposed to allowing direct access to the civilian courts - which the letter wants abandoned.
"In view of the considerable time that these detainees have been held, without access to lawyers of their choice, or their families, and reportedly in conditions of physical and psychological duress, the case for them to be able to challenge their detention in a civilian court is stronger than ever," said the letter."The war on terrorism cannot be won by denying those suspected of terrorism the fundamental right of a fair opportunity to test the evidence against them."
Mr Murphy said the society had a "deeply-established position relating to rule of law", although the text of the letter was not referred to the Law Society's council before it was signed.