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Constitutional Law

Constitutional History

William & Mary Bill of Rights Journal

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Full-Text Articles in Law

A Century In The Making: The Glorious Revolution, The American Revolution, And The Origins Of The U.S. Constitution’S Eighth Amendment, John D. Bessler May 2019

A Century In The Making: The Glorious Revolution, The American Revolution, And The Origins Of The U.S. Constitution’S Eighth Amendment, John D. Bessler

William & Mary Bill of Rights Journal

The sixteen words in the U.S. Constitution’s Eighth Amendment have their roots in England’s Glorious Revolution of 1688–89. This Article traces the historical events that initially gave rise to the prohibitions against excessive bail, excessive fines, and cruel and unusual punishments. Those three proscriptions can be found in the English Declaration of Rights and in its statutory counterpart, the English Bill of Rights. In particular, the Article describes the legal cases and draconian punishments during the Stuart dynasty that led English and Scottish parliamentarians to insist on protections against cruelty and excessive governmental actions. In describing the grotesque punishments of …


A Brief History Of The Fifth Amendment Guarantee Against Double Jeopardy, David S. Rudstein Oct 2005

A Brief History Of The Fifth Amendment Guarantee Against Double Jeopardy, David S. Rudstein

William & Mary Bill of Rights Journal

No abstract provided.


Modernizing The Law Of Open-Air Speech: The Hughes Court And The Birth Of Content-Neutral Balancing, William E. Lee Apr 2005

Modernizing The Law Of Open-Air Speech: The Hughes Court And The Birth Of Content-Neutral Balancing, William E. Lee

William & Mary Bill of Rights Journal

No abstract provided.


The State Of The Canon In Constitutional Law: Lessons From The Jurisprudence Of John Marshall, David E. Marion Feb 2001

The State Of The Canon In Constitutional Law: Lessons From The Jurisprudence Of John Marshall, David E. Marion

William & Mary Bill of Rights Journal

Constitutional law has been an active battlefield as competing groups within the academy seek to deconstruct, reconstruct, and/or relegitimize the teaching and practice of law in the United States. Much of the rhetoric of the debate is couched in the language of rights. There is a danger that diminished attention to powers in the rhetoric and teaching of constitutional law may compromise sober and moderate constitutional reasoning. By reinvigorating reflection on powers-related issues, the legal profession can do its part to promote sobriety, and hence an added dose of prudence, in constitutional reflection and discourse by a democratic citizenry whose …


The Founders Go On-Line: An Original Intent Solution To A Jurisdictional Dilemma, Christine G. Heslinga Dec 2000

The Founders Go On-Line: An Original Intent Solution To A Jurisdictional Dilemma, Christine G. Heslinga

William & Mary Bill of Rights Journal

The Internet has created a blossoming cyber-economy and a new way of conducting business. Unfortunately for those looking for jurisdictional certainty, however, cyberspace also effectively eliminates geographic boundaries. The unprecedented circumstances set by this new frontier have put federal courts in the unenviable position of deciding whether Internet-based cases meet diversity jurisdiction requirements. Examining the constitutional history and recent use of diversity, this Note argues that the Founders did not foresee an era where every contract or sales case would end up in federal court; rather, they intended diversity jurisdiction to be a rare and perhaps temporary proposition. The author …