Law Commons^™

Time For A New Approach? Federalism And Foreign Affairs After "Crosby V. National Foreign Trade Council", James J. Pascoe

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

On June 19, 2000, in Crosby v. National Foreign Trade Council--a much-anticipated decision involving the intersection of federalism and foreign relations--the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a Massachusetts law restricting state purchases from companies doing business in Burma. Crosby represents the Court's first consideration not only of local selective purchasing laws but, more importantly, its first consideration of the sort of subnational sanctions first developed by state and local governments during the anti-apartheid campaign of the 1980's. Thus, Crosby may pose an obstacle to human rights activism by local governments using economic sanctions to punish perceived human-rights offenders.

Because the …

Unratified Treaties And Other Unperfected Acts In International Law: Constitutional Functions, W. Michael Reisman

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

In international law's sociology of knowledge, unperfected legal acts are routinely examined and assigned some legal valence. Scholars quite properly use such material to assess incipient changes, and treatise and monograph writers are expected to determine whether some unperfected legal material is, or is in the process of becoming, customary international law. This is a perfectly proper use of unperfected legal material, because one of the functions of the scholar is to anticipate trends and to appraise incipient developments in terms of the impacts they may have on the most important goals of the international system. The most acute problem …

Foreign Relations And Federal Questions: Resolving The Judicial Split On Federal Court Jurisdiction, Erin E. Terrell

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

The federal circuit courts have disagreed concerning a fundamental issue of federal court jurisdiction: whether cases that may implicate or involve the "foreign relations" of the United States, but do not otherwise raise a more traditional "federal question" under federal law, may be removed from state courts to federal courts. This Note examines the cases that have created the split, and proposes two potential resolutions to it, one judicial and the other legislative.

A Case Of Unconstitutional Immigration: The Importation Of England's National Curriculum To The United States, Jaime S. Boutwell

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

The decline in the quality of the American educational system continues to spawn debate and criticism across the nation. Despite many suggestions and arguments on how to improve American schools, such as voucher systems, smaller class size, and higher teacher qualifications, the concern, while deeply felt, appears to be empty rhetoric. Teachers' low salaries, the disparity in funding among schools, and the lack of parent and community involvement demonstrate America's apathy towards education reform. To effectuate meaningful changes in education, American communities must reach consensus on education's purpose and importance.

The failure of schools requires America to take action. State …

Ten Years Of Basic Law Amendments: Developing A Constitutional Model Of German Unification, Mathew W. Pile

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

On October 3, 1990, West and East Germany officially united. Although several unification methods were possible, the unification occurred by East Germany acceding to the West German Constitution--the Basic Law--through a series of treaties. This "treaty route" to unification necessarily required amendments to the Basic Law.

The primary unification instrument, the Treaty on the Establishment of German Unity, detailed the Basic Law amendments that were immediately essential to effectuating unification. The treaty, however, also contemplated additional Basic Law amendments arising from the consequences of unification. In fact, in the ten years following German unification, the German legislature passed six Basic …

Liberty Of Expression In Ireland And The Need For A Constitutional Law Of Defamation, Sarah Frazier

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

Judicial and constitutional conservatism have allowed Irish defamation law to remain remarkably close to its English common law origins. But the common law of defamation was not designed for a modem democracy with a free press, and Ireland's libel laws have a profound effect upon freedom of expression. If Ireland is to be a modern democracy, as its constitution asserts that it is, and the European Convention on Human Rights demands, it must protect a core area of free expression in order to allow the press (without the fear of repercussion) to keep the public informed about matters of concern. …

Mandating English Proficiency For College Instructors: States' Responses To "The Ta Problem", Kenneth King

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

This Note examines the background, provisions, effects, and constitutionality of state legislation mandating English proficiency assessment for college instructors. Such legislation responds to complaints about the comprehensibility of international instructors--particularly teaching assistants--at U.S. colleges and universities. U.S. universities employ large numbers of international instructors in scientific, technical, and business fields. Such employment is only one aspect of a broader U.S. importation of scientific and technical talent. This Note first considers the background and legitimacy of complaints about international instructors, and then examines the background and details of specific state provisions. It discusses the statutes' effects and particular concerns they raise, …

Private Religious Choice In German And American Constitutional Law: Government Funding And Government Religious Speech, Ingrid B. Wuerth

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

We will never face Germany's specific problems of religion and government, arising as they do from its particular history. The sharply contested religion cases from Germany in the late 1990s do, however, point to problems with our growing reliance on private religious choice analysis that demand our attention in both government funding and speech cases. To understand the problems of funding religious groups in neutral programs, we must back up and ask the foundational question: what goals may the government pursue with its funding? The broader those goals are defined, the greater the potential distortion of private religious choice, through …

Anticipating Hong Kong's Constitution From A U.S. Legal Perspective, John M. Rogers

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

This Article explores the possible nature of Hong Kong's Constitution after July, 1997, and discusses alternative ways of interpreting and enforcing the constitution. The author first proposes three definitions for the word "constitution'" (1) how political power is actually "constituted," (2) a written document and (3) a referent for disputes. The author then explains Hong Kong's unusual constitutional status where Hong Kong will be governed under a written constitution the Basic Law. and at the same time, many aspects of the Basic Law will be "guaranteed" by an international agreement, the Joint Declaration. The author proceeds to evaluate the means …

The Unconstitutionality Of State And Local Enactments In The United States Restricting Business Ties With Burma (Myanmar), David Schmahmann, James Finch

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

As a punitive measure against the military regime in Burma, state and municipal governments in the United States have adopted laws penalizing firms that conduct business in that nation. This Article analyzes the validity of these statutes and ordinances under various provisions of the U.S. Constitution.

After introducing the nature of this development and the constitutional issues raised, Part II of this Article proceeds to examine the character of the local enactments and the political backdrop which lead to their adoption. In Part II, the Authors analyze four federal constitutional issues surrounding the local legislation: implied preemption by federal legislation, …

Off The Precipice: Massachusetts Expands Its Foreign Policy Expedition From Burma To Indonesia, David R. Schmahmann, James Finch, Tia Chapman

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

This Article considers the wisdom and constitutionality of a proposed Massachusetts law penalizing companies that do business with Indonesia. In the March 1997 issue of the Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law, two of the authors expressed concerns about the constitutionality of state and local restrictions on business ties with Burma (Myanmar). This Article applies a similar analysis to conclude that the proposed legislation is an unconstitutional violation of the Supremacy Clause and the Foreign Commerce Clause. The authors also argue that the federal government has clearly preempted action by Massachusetts: first by providing aid to Indonesia under the generalized system …

Preface, Laurelyn E. Douglas

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

The symposium, HONG KONG'S REINTEGRATION INTO THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA: CONSTITUTIONAL ISSUES, POLICY APPROACHES & HUMAN RIGHTS CONCERNS, AND ECONOMIC & LEGAL IMPLICATIONS, was held at the Vanderbilt University School of Law on March 28-29. 1997. Featuring presentations by diverse speakers from a variety of places and perspectives, the symposium addressed a broad range of issues. Topics ranged from comparative constitutional law to human rights and practical business concerns. While differences emerged, it was clear that fully understanding any one area requires knowledge of the others: the viability of markets may well depend upon the validity of documents proclaiming …

The Incorporation Of International Law And The Impact On Constitutional Structures And Rights In Hungary, Duc V. Trang

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

In 1993, the Hungarian Constitutional Court upheld a draft law that would allow the prosecution of crimes committed during the 1956 uprising, despite the expiration of statutes of limitations. In reaching this result, the Court raised international law to the level of a constitutional standard by which Hungary's domestic laws would be judged. In this Article, the author examines the impact of the Court's decision to transform international law into domestic law. The author explores the implications of adopting international law on the relationship between the Court and other branches of the government, the development of domestic law, the growth …

Judicial Jurisdiction In The Conflict Of Laws Course: Adding A Comparative Dimension, Linda J. Silberman

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

In this Article, Professor Silberman suggests that comparative law materials can usefully be introduced in the conflict of laws course. She proposes the subject of adjudicatory jurisdiction as a good place to start. She argues that a comparison of the U.S. approach with the English and European approaches (particularly under the Brussels Convention) is evidence of the desirability of a jurisdictional system grounded more on rules and/or discretion rather than on a constitutional standard of reasonableness. She takes issue with the contention of her colleague Professor Andreas Lowenfeld that "reasonableness" has been accepted as an international standard for the assertion …

The "Constitutionalization" Of The Un Security System, Matthias J. Herdegen

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

The considerable activism displayed by the Security Council over the last years and its dynamic application of the powers under Chapter VII of the UN Charter recently have inspired concern for the institutional balance within the United Nations and the quest for justiciable restraints upon the Council. Such concern underlines a "constitutional" approach to the United Nations framework: the Charter is conceived as a kind of constitution for the community of states with the International Court of Justice as the ultimate guardian of its legality vis-a-vis the Council. Such a "constitutional" approach should be viewed with caution. The scrutiny of …

The Scattered Remains Of Sovereign Immunity For Foreign States After Republic Of Argentina V. Weltover,Inc., Sarah K. Schano

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

The globalization of the United States economy in the latter half of the twentieth century has fostered greater interaction between the United States and foreign states and their instrumentalities. As a result, the likelihood of legal disputes arising between United States entities and foreign states has increased. Traditionally, foreign states have been immune from suit in United States courts. However, the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act (FSIA), enacted in 1976, specifies instances in which United States courts may deny immunity to foreign states and exercise jurisdiction over them. Under one provision of the FSIA, a foreign state may forfeit its immunity …

Procedure As A Guarantee Of Democracy: The Legacy Of The Perestroika Parliament, Frances H. Foster

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

In this Article, the author chronicles the rise and fall of the "perestroika parliament." While Gorbachev's reforms were ultimately unsuccessful in producing effective democratic representation, the author believes that the history of these reforms provides some valuable lessons for post-Soviet Russia. Specifically, Professor Foster concludes that current reformers in Russia should learn from the failed perestroika parliament that a democratic, "rule-of-law" state requires uniform lawmaking procedures with constitutional safeguards to guarantee their integrity.

Customary Practice And The People's Voice: Separation Of Powers And Foreign Affairs, Harold G. Maier

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

CONSTITUTIONALISM, DEMOCRACY, AND FOREIGN AFFAIRS

By Louis Henkin

New York: Columbia University Press, 1990. Pp. viii, 125

This short book brings to bear Professor Henkin's vast experience as a teacher and scholar in United States foreign relations law on a contemporary examination of constitutional separation of powers principles in determining the appropriate roles of the three federal governmental branches in the conduct of foreign affairs. In this context, the author asks, "Is our two-hundred year old constitution satisfactory for its third century?" After an excursion through the principal issues most germane to an answer, he concludes that "there is no …

Books Received, Law Review Staff

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

JAPANESE CRIMINAL JUSTICE

By A. Didrick Castberg

New York, New York: Praeger Publishers, 1990. Pp. 153. $42.95.

THE INTERNATIONALIZATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS

By David P. Forsythe

Lexington, Massachusetts; Lexington Books, 1991. Pp. 209.$34.00.

FEDERAL COURTS AND THE INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS PARADIGM By Kenneth C. Randall

Durham, North Carolina; Duke University Press. 1990. Pp. 295. $45.00.

ROMAN LAW AND COMPARATIVE LAW

By Alan Watson

Athens, Georgia: University of Georgia Press, 1991. Pp. 328. $50.00

THE U.S. CONSTITUTION AND FOREIGN POLICY

By Victoria Marie Kraft

New York, New York: Greenwood Press, 1990. Pp. 185. $45.00.

Books Received, Law Review Staff

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

Books Received

GOOD FAITH IN ENGLISH LAW

By J.F. O'Connor

Brookfield, Vermont: Dartmouth Publishing Company, 1990. Pp. 148.

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LAW AND ISLAM IN THE MIDDLE EAST

Edited by Daisy Hilse Dwyer

New York, New York: Bergin & Garvey, 1990. Pp. 168.

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INTERNATIONAL SECURITIES REGULATION

By Norman S. Poser

Boston, Massachusetts: Little, Brown and Company, 1991. Pp. 799.

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COMPARATIVE CONSTITUTIONAL FEDERALISM

Edited by MarkTushnet

Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 1990. Pp. 157.

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ECONOMIC SANCTIONS AND U.S. TRADE

By Michael P. Melloy

Boston, Massachusetts: Little, Brown and Company, 1990. Pp. 752.

Case Digest, Law Review Staff

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

MEDICAL MALPRACTICE ABROAD BY UNITED STATES PHYSICIAN IN CONNECTION WITH DEPARTMENT OF STATE REGULATIONS GOVERNING TORT CLAIMS PROVIDED FOR AN INVESTIGATIVE PROCEDURE FOLLOWED BY AGENCY DECISION--AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT HOLDS NO CONSTITUTIONAL OBLIGATIONS TO EVALUATE MEDICAL MALPRACTICE CLAIM ON THE MERITS AND IN ACCORD WITH MINIMAL DUE PROCESS. Tarpeh-Doe v. United States, 904 F.2d719 (D.C. Cir. 1990).

THE FOREIGN CORRUPT PRACTICES ACT DOES NOT CREATE AN IMPLIED PRIVATE RIGHT OF ACTION THAT KENTUCKY TOBACCO GROWERS COULD USE TO RECOVER DAMAGES FROM COMPANIES THAT ALLEGEDLY ENGAGED IN CORRUPT PRACTICES TO THE DETRIMENT OF GROWERS. THE ACT OF STATE DOCTRINE, HOWEVER, DOES …

Customary Law In Namibia: What Should Be Done?, Lynn Berat, Robert J. Gordon

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

In this Article, the authors discuss Namibia's dual legal system, inherited from the previous South African regime, in light of the new government's goal of national reconciliation. After a brief introduction, the authors in Part II address customary law on a theoretical level. They point out that the customary law emerging in Namibia during the colonial era was not a reflection of a true communal tradition, but rather was a tool used to control resources and to redistribute power.

In Part III, the authors review the history of the colonial system in Namibia. The German colonial authorities divided Namibia into …

The 'Mandatory' Nature Of The Hague Service Convention In The United States Is The Forum's Victory, Rita M. Alliss

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

This Note addresses the current United States approach to the Hague Convention on the Service Abroad of Judicial and Extrajudicial Documents in Civil or Commercial Matters. The Note recognizes a split in United States case law concerning whether strict compliance with the Hague Service Convention is required. While some United States courts focus on the scope of the Convention and United States due process concepts to avoid strict compliance, other courts, especially state courts, require strict compliance with the Convention under the supremacy clause of the United States Constitution. The author focuses on service on foreign state corporations by substituted …

Recent Development, Jonathan J. Cheatwood

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

The exclusionary rule requires the suppression of evidence that agents of United States Government seize abroad in violation of the fourth amendment to the United States Constitution. In contrast, the exclusionary rule does not generally apply to overseas operations conducted by agents of a foreign country, even though the operation would violate the fourth amendment if conducted by United States officials. This dichotomy is the result of a judicial realization that the exclusion of evidence seized by foreign police in violation of the United States Constitution and presented on a "silver platter" to United States law enforcement officials cannot be …

Case Digest, Law Review Staff

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

Neither Private Refugee Assistance Agency Nor its Members have Standing to Contest U.S. Interdiction of Foreign Vessels on High Seas Carrying Undocumented Aliens Haitian Refugee Center v. Gracey, No. 85-5258, slip op. (D.C. Cir. Jan. 9, 1987).

Separation of Citizen Children from Illegal Alien Parents Should be Considered when Determining Extreme Hardship Deportation Proceedings -Cerillo-Perez v. INS, 55 U.S.L.W.2457 (9th Cir. 1987).

California State Court's Exercise of Personal Jurisdiction over Japanese Manufacturer to Indemnify Taiwanese Company is Unreasonable and Unfair in Violation of Due Process. Asahi Metal Industry Co. v. Superior Court of California, 107 S. Ct.1026 (1987).

Nondiscriminatory Ad …

Recent Decision, Barbara K. Caldwell

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

CONSTITUTIONAL LAW--Commerce Clause--State Taxation of Aviation Fuel Used Exclusively in Foreign Commerce is Not Preempted by the Federal Aviation Act and is Not Invalid Under the Japan Line Doctrine of the Foreign Commerce Clause. "Wardair Canada, Inc. v. Florida Department of Revenue", 106 S. Ct. 2369 (1986).

Extending The Self-Incrimination Clause To Persons In Fear Of Foreign Prosecution, Bret A. Fausett

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

This Note will examine the rationale, policies, and history behind the self-incrimination clause and will demonstrate the privilege's importance as an individual right and as a check on police power. Only by exploring the purposes and policies behind the privilege--an approach condoned by the Supreme Court--is one able to formulate the best answer to whether the self-incrimination clause extends to persons in fear of foreign prosecution. An understanding of what the privilege is supposed to protect will lead to a better understanding of the scope of this important constitutional guarantee. This Note will then focus on recent cases in which …

Case Digest, Law Review Staff

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS AND MEMBERS OF CLERGY OF VARIOUS DENOMINATIONS LACK STANDING TO CHALLENGE ADOPTION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS WITH THE VATICAN

--Americans United for Separation of Church and State v. Reagan, 786 F.2d 194 (3d Cir.1986)

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EVEN THOUGH PROCEEDINGS IN THE FOREIGN FORUM MAY TAKE MORE TIME AND MAY YIELD A SMALLER RECOVERY THAN PROCEEDING IN THE UNITED STATES FORUM, THE FOREIGN FORUM MAY BE CONSIDERED AN ADEQUATE FORUM FOR THE PURPOSES OF THE FORRUM NON CONVENIENS DOCTRINE

--De Melo v. Lederle Laboratories, 801 F.2d 1058 (8th Cir. 1986)

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ASSERTION OF PERSONAL JURISDICTION IN CALIFORNIA OVER AN …

Political Refugees, Nonrefoulement And State Practice: A Comparative Study, Robert C. Sexton

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

This Article will survey and assess the attempts of five of the major refugee receiving countries of the West, the United States, Canada, Great Britain, France, and Italy, to comply with the mandates of the Convention and Protocol. Specifically, inquiry will focus on the two issues most applicable to the admission and exclusion of political refugees: (1) domestic interpretation of the Convention definition of "refugee;" and (2) adherence to the principle of nonrefoulement, which is the Convention's proscription on returning persons falling within its refugee definition to countries of alleged persecution.

Section II explores the precise substantive provisions of the …

Recent Decisions, Jonathan F. Mack, Jesse T. Wilkins, Joseph A. Dijulio

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

Constitutional Law--Grandfather Clause in International Emergency Economic Powers Act Permits the President to Ban Travel to Cuba without Declaring an Emergency Regan v. Wald, 104 S. Ct. 3026 (1984)

Jurisdiction--Bank may not Assert Act of State Doctrine as Defense in Action on Certificate of Deposit Garcia v. Chase Manhattan Bank, N.A., 735 F.2d 645 (2d Cir. 1984).

Jurisdiction--Commercial Activity as Applied to the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act and the Act of State Doctrine Braka v. Bancomer, S.A., 589 F. Supp. 1465 (S.D.N.Y. 1984)