[JURIST] British lawyers representing Australian Guantanamo detainee David Hicks [BBC profile; advocacy website] have threatened legal action to compel the UK Home Office [official website] to grant him citizenship. Hicks applied for British citizenship [JURIST report] on the grounds that he is of British ancestry. If he Hicks is recognized as a Briton, his lawyers say they will turn to Britain for aid and ask the British government to intervene on his behalf to seek Hicks' release from Guantanamo Bay [JURIST news archive], as the UK has done for nine British Guantanamo detainees. Hicks' Australian lawyer, David McLeod, said the British government has no discretionary powers to refuse Hicks citizenship. Hicks faces charges [charge sheet, PDF] of conspiracy, attempted murder by an unprivileged belligerent and aiding the enemy. The Advertiser has more.

Previously in JURIST's Paper Chase...

• Pentagon sets date of military commission trial for Australian Gitmo detainee
• Trial of Australian Gitmo detainee to start in October
• US wants military trial for Australian Gitmo detainee
• Australia rejects advice proposing domestic trial for Gitmo prisoner Hicks
• Australia wants speedy military trial for Gitmo detainee, but lawyers balk