Digital Commons Network^™

Separation Of Santa And State Is Smart, Fair, Alan E. Garfield

Alan E Garfield

No abstract provided.

Three Strikes And You're Outside The Constitution: Will The Guantanamo Bay Alien Detainees Be Granted Fundamental Due Process?, Michael Greenberger

Michael Greenberger

The United States Supreme Court has agreed to take up its first case arising from the War on Terror by hearing the consolidated appeals of two groups of foreign aliens who are or who had been detained at the United States Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, Cuba: Rasul v. Bush (No. 03-334) and Al Odah v. United States (No. 03-343). The cases stem from the United States' capture of several hundred prisoners in Afghanistan and Pakistan and their subsequent imprisonment at Guantanamo Bay. The prison began operation in January 2002, and approximately 90 detainees have been freed up to this time, …

Running Cars, Constitutions And Metaphors Into The Ground, Mark A. Graber

Mark Graber

Professor Sanford Levinson frequently analogizes the Constitution of the United States to a vehicle that desperately needs repairs. “[R]elying on the present Constitution.” he writes, “is similar to driving a car with very bad brakes and slick tires.” Much commentary on Our Undemocratic Constitution implicitly challenges the automotive metaphor. The Constitution of the United States, supporters profess, is not really as bad as Levinson would have us believe. The following pages take a road less traveled. Ancient constitutional institutions in the United States are suffering from severe wear and tear. Nevertheless, decisions to drive a comparatively unsafe car are often …

Communiqué For Elders On Reconciliation, Reunification And Peace In Cyprus: An Inter-Communal Civic Initiative, Nicos Trimikliniotis

Nicos Trimikliniotis

The visit of Elders in December 2009 is coinciding with a critical moment in the negotiation process, which is gradually entering into its final crucial phase. The two leaders appear determined to move forward with a settlement, despite the inherent difficulties; the Elders’ visit can assist the process by encouraging the leaders to show courage and boldness so as to press on with an agreement as soon as possible. Unlike in 2004, where both process and outcome were in the end delegitimized as ‘externally imposed’ and ‘not properly balanced’, this time the process is entirely owned and controlled by the …

Ideologia E Utopias Nas Mais Recentes Constituintes Brasileira E Portuguesa: Algumas Linhas De Leitura, Paulo Ferreira Da Cunha

Paulo Ferreira da Cunha

Based upon a political compromise, in which « democratic socialists » and « social democrats » were the main protagonists, the ideology of Portuguese Constitution of 1976 was discrete, subtle. And ulterior constitutional revisions confirmed that fondamental aspect. Of course, utopia was present. But, even more present was the « hope principle ». We believe that the Brazilean constituent assembly, with the original importance of popular contributions, also had hope principle’s decisive influence. But the dinamics of the constituent assembly moderated, since the very beggining, the verbal signs of less discret ideologies. Utopia, neverthless, is very present in the aim …

The Frictions Of Federalism: The Rise And Fall Of The Federal Common Law Of Interstate Nuisance, Robert V. Percival

Robert Percival

Prior to the erection in the 1970s of a comprehensive federal regulatory infrastructure to protect the environment, transboundary pollution disputes frequently were adjudicated by the U.S. Supreme Court, exercising its original jurisdiction over disputes between states. In a series of cases commencing at the dawn of the Twentieth Century, the Court served as a national arbiter of interstate pollution disputes. This paper reviews the history of the Supreme Court's use of these cases to develop a federal common law of interstate nuisance. The paper argues that while federal common law initially performed a zoning function by encouraging polluters to relocate …

Animal Cruelty Vs. Freedom Of Speech, Alan E. Garfield

Alan E Garfield

No abstract provided.

Preventing Racism, Xenophobia And Related Intolerance In Sport Across The European Union - Raxen Thematic Study On Cyprus, Nicos Trimikliniotis

Nicos Trimikliniotis

This is a staudy on racism in sport in Cyprus, part of the the RAXEN Network.

There is no comprehensive study, nor is there any systematic system of recording racist incidents and discriminatory practices in sport in Cyprus. To collect the necessary evidence for the purposes of this report the NFP relied on various secondary sources (books, media reports). Additionally, the report draws on interviews as well as extensive information gathering from the persons interviewed (see interview list). There is however some ‘concrete’ evidence in the form of specialised body reports and sanctions against particular clubs imposed by the tribunal …

Exceptions, Soft Borders And Free Movement For Workers, Nicos Trimikliniotis

Nicos Trimikliniotis

This chapter deals with issues of exceptions, soft borders and free movement for workers as illustrated in the Case of Cyprus. The chapter attempts to unravel some exceptional considerations aiming to restrict free movement for workers essentially on the grounds political and economic conditions that fall outside the edges of the law. The ECJ has repeatedly ruled that the scope of exceptions, derogations, issues relating to the territorial scope of treaties as well as various public policy and security considerations restricting free movement, are severely limited by the operation of the fundamental principles of the EU acquis. On the other …

The Future Of Local News Reporting, Alan E. Garfield

Alan E Garfield

No abstract provided.

Regulatory Takings: A Chronicle Of The Construction Of A Constitutional Concept, Garrett Power

Garrett Power

In the American constitutional system the sovereign has the power to enact “regulations which are necessary to the common good and general welfare.” But the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution proscribes that : “No person shall be . . . deprived of . . . property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.” And the question of whether a sovereign regulation has “taken” private property without just compensation has puzzled the United States Supreme Court for over two hundred years in over four hundred cases. This paper chronicles …

Constitutional Limitations On Land Use Controls, Environmental Regulations And Governmental Exactions. 2008 Edition., Garrett Power

Garrett Power

Constitutional Limitations on Land Use Controls, Environmental Regulations and Governmental Exactions (2008) is electronically published in a searchable PDF format as a part of the E-scholarship Repository of the University of Maryland School of Law. It is an “open content” casebook intended for classroom use in Land Use Control and Environmental Law courses. It consists of cases carefully selected from the two hundred years of American constitutional history which address the clash between public sovereignty and private property. The text consists of non-copyrighted material and professors and students are free to use it in whole or part. The author requests …

Constitutional Limitations On Land Use Controls, Environmental Regulations And Governmental Exactions. 2009 Edition., Garrett Power

Garrett Power

Constitutional Limitations on Land Use Controls, Environmental Regulations and Governmental Exactions (2009) is electronically published in a searchable PDF format as a part of the E-scholarship Repository of the University of Maryland School of Law. It is an “open content” casebook intended for classroom use in Land Use Control and Environmental Law courses. It consists of cases carefully selected from the two hundred years of American constitutional history which address the clash between public sovereignty and private property. The text consists of non-copyrighted material and professors and students are free to use it in whole or part. The author requests …

Mayorías Sin Democracia. Desequilibrio De Poderes Y Estado De Derecho En Colombia, 2002-2009, Mauricio García-Villegas, Javier Revelo-Rebolledo

Javier Revelo-Rebolledo

A Prayer For Constitutional Comparativism In Eighth Amendment Cases, David C. Gray

David C. Gray

No abstract provided.

Recent Decisions, Phoebe A. Haddon

Phoebe A. Haddon

No abstract provided.

The Treaty Of Waitangi In New Zealand's Law And Constitution, Reviewed By Sir Edmund Thomas, Matthew S. R. Palmer

The Hon Justice Matthew Palmer

An Essay On The Ninth Amendment: Interpretation For The New World Order, Phoebe A. Haddon

Phoebe A. Haddon

No abstract provided.

The Free Speech Metamorphosis Of Mr. Justice Holmes, David S. Bogen

David S. Bogen

No abstract provided.

O Que É Uma Universidade?, Paulo Ferreira Da Cunha

Paulo Ferreira da Cunha

Pouca gente sabe hoje o que é uma Universidade, a sério. Confunde-se muito Universidade e super-mercado de aulas, ou fábrica de « investigação » ou « pesquisa », assim como se confunde serviço público com negócio, vocação com interesse pessoal, etc. É a própria essência da Universidade que está em causa. A confusão é grande no público, que vê a Universidade sobretudo como uma forma de promoção social, pelos diplomas. A confusão não é menor na própria Universidade. Os universitários mais responsáveis interrogam-se sobre a sua função, o sentido do trabalho que fizeram e fazem, e a sua sorte na …

The Countermajoritarian Difficulty: From Courts To Congress To Constitutional Order, Mark A. Graber

Mark Graber

This review documents how scholarly concern with democratic deficits in American constitutionalism has shifted from the courts to electoral institutions. Prominent political scientists are increasingly rejecting the countermajoritarian difficulty as the proper framework for studying and evaluating judicial power. Political scientists, who study Congress and the presidency, however, have recently emphasized countermajoritarian difficulties with electoral institutions. Realistic normative appraisals of American political institutions, this emerging literature on constitutional politics in the United States maintains, should begin by postulating a set of democratic and constitutional goods, determine the extent to which American institutions as a whole are delivering those goods, and …

Maryland And The Constitution Of The United States: An Introductory Essay, William L. Reynolds

William L. Reynolds

The State of Maryland and the attorneys who practice in it have played a profound role in the history of the Constitution of the United States. That relationship should not surprise anyone: after all, Maryland was one of the original thirteen states, and its proximity to the nation’s capitol ensured that its lawyers would play an active role in the bar of the Supreme Court. Although the case names alone would make that history apparent – McCulloch v. Maryland, Brown v. Maryland, Federal Baseball – I am not aware of a serious scholarly effort to bring that history to the …

Luther Martin, Maryland And The Constitution, William L. Reynolds

William L. Reynolds

Reviews the life and contributions of Maryland lawyer and scholar Luther Martin (1748-1826).

The Price Of Fame: Brown As Celebrity, Mark A. Graber

Mark Graber

This essay examines the history of Brown I, Brown II, and Bolling in the Supreme Court of the United States. Enduring precedents, the analysis suggests, go through three stages. In the first stage, they fight for survival. This describes Brown during the first decade after that decision was handed down. No Supreme Court Justice asserted, “Brown should be overruled,” but many citations to Brown came in the context of political efforts to reverse or marginalize that decision. In the second stage, precedents fight for extension. This describes Brown in the later Warren and Burger years. Civil rights activists insisted that …

Book Review: The Constitution In The Supreme Court: The First Hundred Years, 1789-1888., David S. Bogen

David S. Bogen

No abstract provided.

Recent Decisions Of The Supreme Court In Labor Law, David S. Bogen

David S. Bogen

No abstract provided.

Book Review: Reconstruction And Reunion, 1864-88, Part One, David S. Bogen

David S. Bogen

No abstract provided.

Matters Of Judgment: The "Forum Of Principle" Revisited, Mark A. Graber

Mark Graber

No abstract provided.

Equality, Conscience, And The Liberty Of The Church: Justifying The Controversiale Per Controversialius, Patrick Mckinley Brennan

Patrick McKinley Brennan

This paper considers the central normative claim of Martha Nussbaum’s Liberty of Conscience: In Defense of America’s Tradition of Religious Equality, viz., that the U.S. Constitution’s religion clauses should be construed to provide equal (and extensive) protection to the vulnerable human faculty called conscience. The paper argues that Nussbaum’s argument from Rawlsian political liberalism that leads to her normative constitutional claim amounts, perversely, to an attempt to justify the controversial by the more controversial. The paper goes on to argue that while equality and conscience are concepts that are reasonably contested, Nussbaum illegitimately gives them priority over the also reasonably …

The Case Against National Security Courts, Stephen I. Vladeck

Stephen I. Vladeck

Since September 11, calls for a hybrid national security court to handle special terrorism cases have taken on a new-found prominence, as courts and policymakers alike have struggled with the complex series of legal and logistical problems posed by the U.S. government's detention of enemy combatants, especially the hundreds of non-citizens so detained at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. National security courts are, for many, an increasingly attractive compromise solution to the seemingly irreconcilable division between those who believe that terrorism suspects are not entitled to the traditional criminal process and those who believe not only that they are, but that any …