Law Commons^™

Fallibility + Unchecked Power = Trouble, C. Peter Erlinder

C. Peter Erlinder

No abstract provided.

Bridging The Divide Between Justice Kennedy’S Progressivism And Justice Scalia’S Textualism: Introducing The Concept Of Negative Originalism, Adam Lamparello

Adam Lamparello

This Article examines the United States's Supreme Court's reliance upon foreign sources of law when adjudicating "values based" cases. In particular, the Article analyzes the Court's decision in Lawrence v. Texas, with particular emphasis upon the interpretive approaches utilized by Justices Breyer ("progressivism") and Scalia ("originalism") in arriving at their respective decisions. Based upon such examination, including the efficacy of relying upon foreign sources of law to support domestic constitutional decisions, this Article proposes a new interpretive paradigm, entitled "negative originalism", which strives to ensure fidelity to the Constitution's original purposes and objectives, while allowing courts sufficient flexibility to fashion …

The Constitution Of Palestine: "The State In Development", Leonid G. Berlyavskiy

Leonid G. Berlyavskiy

Constitution of Palestine is an example of the constitutional act of the so-called "states in development" that is, being at the stage of development. The planned for the autumn of 2000 declaration of "the State the Palestine" has not taken place, however the constitution is considered working. According to the fundamental law Palestine is the parliamentary republic with rather extensive powers of the president, and is the unitary state.

Judicial Review Of Special Interest Spending: The General Welfare Clause And The Fiduciary Law Of The Founders, Robert G. Natelson

Robert G. Natelson

This article surveys the principles of 18th century fiduciary law that the Founders incorporated into the U.S. Constitution-- principles they referred to as rules of "public trust." The article also suggests standards the courts can use to determine if particular congressional appropriations are within the "general welfare" limitation of the Constitution's so-called Spending Clause

Tempering The Commerce Power, Robert G. Natelson

Robert G. Natelson

The Supreme Court's modern interpretation of the Necessary and Proper Clause in the realm of interstate commerce is textually problematic, unfaithful to the Constitution's original meaning, and contains positive incentives for Congress to over-regulate. The Necessary and Proper Clause was intended to embody the common law doctrine of principals and incidents, and the Court should employ that doctrine as its interpretive benchmark. The common law doctrine contains less, although some, bias toward over-regulation, and it is flexible enough to adapt to changing social conditions. Adherence to the common law doctrine would markedly improve Commerce Power jurisprudence and reduce incentives for …

The Future Of Religious Pluralism: Justice O'Connor And The Establishment Clause, Deborah J. Merritt, Daniel C. Merritt

Deborah J Merritt

Justice Sandra Day O’Connor offered a distinctive vision of the Establishment Clause. This article puts that vision in context by reviewing the history of religious pluralism, tolerance, and intolerance in the United States. The article also draws upon psychology research to illuminate the polarizing tendencies that continuously undermine religious tolerance. These sections of the article offer essential background that many observers overlook when analyzing the Establishment Clause. Finally, the article argues that Justice O’Connor’s Establishment Clause principles offer the best promise of promoting religious pluralism more fully in the United States.

Self-Defense In Asian Religions, David B. Kopel

David B Kopel

This Article investigates the attitudes of six Far Eastern religions - Confucianism, Taoism, Hinduism, Sikhism, Jainism, and Buddhism - towards the legitimacy of the use of force in individual and collective contexts. Self-defense is strongly legitimated in the theory and practice of the major Far Eastern religions. The finding is consistent with natural law theory that some aspects of the human personality, including the self-defense instinct, are inherent in human nature, rather than being entirely determined by culture.

The Original Understanding Of The Indian Commerce Clause, Robert G. Natelson

Robert G. Natelson

The United States Congress claims plenary and exclusive power over federal affairs with the Indian tribes, based primarily on the Constitution’s Indian Commerce Clause. This article is the first comprehensive analysis of the original meaning of, and understanding behind, that constitutional provision. The author concludes that, as originally understood, congressional power over the tribes was to be neither plenary nor exclusive.

Congress Has The Power To Enforce The Bill Of Rights Against The Federal Government: Therefore Fisa Is Constitutional And The President's Terrorist Surveillance Program Is Illegal, Wilson R. Huhn

Wilson R. Huhn

The principal point of this Article is that Congress has plenary authority to enforce the Bill of Rights against the federal government. Although this precept is a fundamental one, neither the Supreme Court nor legal scholars have articulated this point in clear, simple, and direct terms. The Supreme Court does not have a monopoly on the Bill of Rights. Congress, too, has constitutional authority to interpret our rights and to enforce or enlarge them as against the actions of the federal government.

Congress exercised its power to protect the constitutional rights of American citizens when it enacted the Foreign Intelligence …