Law Commons^™

Updates Editor: Chapters 3, 6, 31-36, 54, 55, 77-81, Robert Bloom

Robert Bloom

No abstract provided.

When Rights Become Empty Promises: Promoting An Exclusionary Rule That Vindicates Personal Rights, Robert Bloom, Erin Dewey

Robert Bloom

The United States has played a leading role in the development of the exclusionary rule since Weeks v. United States (1914). The original exclusionary rule justification set out in Weeks is the vindication principle which operates so as to exclude unconstitutionally obtained evidence for the purpose of vindicating the rights of the accused. In this way the exclusion of evidence provides a remedy to the victim of an illegality by maintaining the status quo ante. The U.S. Supreme Court observed in Wolf v Colorado (1949) that “[o]f 10 jurisdictions within the United Kingdom and the British Commonwealth of Nations which …

The Right To Die: Themes And Variations, Charles Baron

Charles H. Baron

No abstract provided.

December 31, 2011: The Conflict Between The Catholic Church And Government Regulations, Bruce Ledewitz

Hallowed Secularism

Blog post, “The Conflict Between the Catholic Church and Government Regulations“ discusses politics, theology and the law in relation to religion and public life in the democratic United States of America.

Quem Defende A Constituição?, Paulo Ferreira Da Cunha

Paulo Ferreira da Cunha

A fase actual de ataque à Constituição parece ser a de legislar sem lhe prestar atenção, esperando que ninguém se lembre que existe, e ninguém levante questões de inconstitucionalidade. 2012 vai ser um ano em que se vão tirar as teimas sobre quem defende e quem não defende a Constituição. Feliz Ano Novo, com controlo da Constitucionalidade!

Justice’S Suspension Is Dubious, Bruce Ledewitz

Ledewitz Papers

Published scholarship collected from academic journals, law reviews, newspaper publications & online periodicals

Step Down, Justice Melvin, Bruce Ledewitz

Ledewitz Papers

Published scholarship collected from academic journals, law reviews, newspaper publications & online periodicals

December 28, 2011: Enlisting The Help Of Sam Harris, Bruce Ledewitz

Hallowed Secularism

Blog post, “Enlisting the Help of Sam Harris“ discusses politics, theology and the law in relation to religion and public life in the democratic United States of America.

December 24, 2011: The Waning Of Christian Culture, Bruce Ledewitz

Hallowed Secularism

Blog post, “The Waning of Christian Culture“ discusses politics, theology and the law in relation to religion and public life in the democratic United States of America.

A Constituição Laboral Em Alto Risco, Paulo Ferreira Da Cunha

Paulo Ferreira da Cunha

A Constituição labora está a ser vítima de graves ataques. Já quase se pode ler o texto da nossa Constituição como se fora uma utopia de um país distante. Arriscamo-nos, por este caminho, a ter uma constituição nominal ou semântica, não normativa, não efectiva. E contudo ainda existe o texto, ainda existe o princípio da proibição do retrocesso, ainda existe um Tribunal Constitucional.

Pleading For A Bargain: The Upcoming Debate Over Competing Standards Of Prejudice In Missouri V. Frye, Ian Hampton

Duke Journal of Constitutional Law & Public Policy Sidebar

No abstract provided.

December 20, 2011: Religious Revival In China, Bruce Ledewitz

Hallowed Secularism

Blog post, “Religious Revival in China“ discusses politics, theology and the law in relation to religion and public life in the democratic United States of America.

Forbidden Territory Or Well-Defined Boundaries? M.B.Z. V. Clinton And The Overzealous Application Of The Political Question Doctrine, Andrew Hand

Duke Journal of Constitutional Law & Public Policy Sidebar

No abstract provided.

The Israeli Welfare State, Jon Foster

Jon Foster

An analysis of the modern welfare state that exists within Israel. Identifying where the Israeli model falls in relation to the European and American model; differences, similarities, and unique aspects of the Israeli system in comparative perspective.

December 16, 2011: Christopher Hitchens R.I.P., Bruce Ledewitz

Hallowed Secularism

Blog post, “Christopher Hitchens R.I.P.“ discusses politics, theology and the law in relation to religion and public life in the democratic United States of America.

Christian Scripture And American Scripture: An Instructive Analogy?, Gregory A. Kalscheur S.J.

Gregory A. Kalscheur, S.J.

This Review Essay examines the analogy between biblical interpretation and constitutional interpretation drawn by the eminent Yale church historian Jaroslav Pelikan in his provocative book, Interpreting the Bible and the Constitution. Part I of the Essay focuses on Pelikan’s discussion of the differences and analogies between the Bible and the Constitution that provide the foundation for methodological comparison. Part II of the Essay examines Pelikan’s effort to draw on the work of 19th-century theologian John Henry Newman in order to explore the fundamental problem of the relation between the authority of the original text and the authority of developing doctrine …

John Paul Ii, John Courtney Murray, And The Relationship Between Civil Law And Moral Law: A Constructive Proposal For Contemporary American Pluralism, Gregory A. Kalscheur S.J.

Gregory A. Kalscheur, S.J.

In his 1995 encyclical, Evangelium Vitae, Pope John Paul II outlined a jurisprudential vision which includes the “doctrine on the necessary conformity of civil law with moral law.” The Pope’s jurisprudential reflections prompt the question I consider in this Article: How should we understand the doctrine on the necessary conformity of civil law with moral law in a religiously pluralistic democratic society like that of the United States today? My objective is to articulate a vision of the relationship between moral values and civil law that is grounded in the tradition of Catholic social thought and that can allow the …

Catholics In Public Life: Judges, Legislators, And Voters, Gregory A. Kalscheur S.J.

Gregory A. Kalscheur, S.J.

Does the desire to avoid culpable cooperation in moral evil make the conscientious Catholic judge unfit for judicial service in a constitutional system that will inevitably bring before the judge cases that implicate a host of issues as to which the Church offers moral teaching? Confused answers to this question reflect a larger confusion which often accompanies contemporary discussion of questions related to Catholic participation in public life. The confusion stems in large part from a failure to recognize that Catholics participate in public life in different ways that give them different sorts of public roles. This Essay tries to …

Civil Procedure And The Establishment Clause: Exploring The Ministerial Exception, Subject-Matter Jurisdiction, And The Freedom Of The Church, Gregory A. Kalscheur

Gregory A. Kalscheur, S.J.

What sort of defense is provided by the ministerial exception to employment discrimination claims? The ministerial exception bars civil courts from reviewing the decisions of religious organizations regarding the employment of their ministerial employees. While the exception itself is widely recognized by courts, there is confusion with respect to the proper characterization of the defense provided by the exception: should it be seen as a subject matter jurisdiction defense, or as a challenge to the legal sufficiency of the plaintiff's claim? This Article argues that articulating the right answer to this question of civil procedure is crucial to a proper …

Moral Limits On Morals Legislation: Lessons For U.S. Constitutional Law From The Declaration On Religious Freedom, Gregory A. Kalscheur S.J.

Gregory A. Kalscheur, S.J.

A persistent American confusion regarding the proper relationship between law and morality is manifest in the opinions in Lawrence v. Texas. The Second Vatican Council’s Declaration on Religious Freedom provides the foundation for an analytical framework that can bring clarity to that confusion. The heart of this framework is the moral concept of public order. This concept offers a principled explanation of both the holding in Lawrence and the limitations the Court placed on that holding. The Court could clarify the confusion manifest in Lawrence by explicitly acknowledging that a state interest only becomes legitimate for purposes of rational basis …

El Problema Del Lenguaje, Y Su Incidencia En El Escenario Jurídico.®, Daniel Fernando Gómez Tamayo

Daniel Fernando Gómez Tamayo

En este estudio se aborda los efectos sociales de la incomunicación de la jurisprudencia extranjera con las fuentes jurídicas, y su estrecha relación con la manipulación normativa y los trasplantes jurídicos. ¿Por qué razón el se incrementa el gasto militar y en defensa? Para los federales de la agencia y para los framers: el incidente ocurrido el 11 de septiembre de 2001 en New York fue un ataque terrorista; aunque, no se descarta que ese hecho podría ser un ajuste de cuentas de la liga àrabe por temas petroleros . Lo cierto, es que el juez Víctor Marrero, un prestigioso …

Tripartism In Ireland, Jon Foster

Jon Foster

Over the past few years, the term “PIIGS” has become synonymous with economic concerns and fears of collapse. The acronym, which currently refers to the European countries of Portugal, Italy, Ireland, Greece, and Spain: was originally just ‘PIGS’ , used to group the similar economies of Southern Europe when considering them for acceptance into the European Monetary Union. Nevertheless, as a result of the global financial crisis, this term soon came to identify economically weak and overly indebted nations. However, unlike Italy, Greece, and Portugal, who had before the crisis demonstrated relatively slow growth, modest unemployment, and a propensity to …

Inconstitucionalidade Da Abolição De Feriados, Paulo Ferreira Da Cunha

Paulo Ferreira da Cunha

Feriados celebrando datas essenciais do Estado ou da República são símbolos nacionais. Como tais, são matéria constitucional (materialmente constitucional) ainda que não constante do texto da Constituição. Abolir feriados destes, para mais sem sequer prévia discussão nacional, além de denotar um desprezo profundo pela cultura e pela História... é inconstitucional.

De Keynes Aos Desafios Futuros, Paulo Ferreira Da Cunha

Paulo Ferreira da Cunha

Keynes anda esquecido pelos economistas da moda. É pena, porque o resultado, catastrófico, das políticas neoliberais está à vista. Entretanto, reflecte-se sobre como a velha esquerda moderada se deixou contaminar pelo vírus do neoliberalismo (e a velha direita social também, e mais ainda), havendo porém novas teorias e propostas no horizonte, como o capitalismo humanista, no Brasil e em Espanha, e a "next left", no Reino Unido. Será possível uma confluência coerente e frutuosa dos que não querem, de uns e de outros lados, um mundo só baseado na ganância e na aniquilação do mais fraco? É o grande desafio …

December 13, 2011: The Mcconnell-Feldman Debate Over Religious Liberty, Bruce Ledewitz

Hallowed Secularism

Blog post, “The McConnell-Feldman Debate Over Religious Liberty“ discusses politics, theology and the law in relation to religion and public life in the democratic United States of America.

Un Hombre, Un Voto, Germán M. Teruel Lozano

Germán M. Teruel Lozano

No abstract provided.

The Anti-Injunction Act And The Individual Mandate, Steve R. Johnson

Scholarly Publications

The Supreme Court will soon consider challenges to constitutionality of the so-called individual mandate portion of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (PPACA). It is important for the nation that the Court render a decision on the merits. This could be derailed, however, were the Court to dispose of the case by holding that the Anti-Injunction Act (AIA) and the Declaratory Judgment Act (DJA) preclude pre-enforcement review. Disposition on those grounds would subject the federal government, states, businesses, and individuals to years of additional uncertainty, inconvenience, and expense.

Fortunately, that threat to resolution on the merits can …

Labor Unions And Climate Change, Jon Foster

Jon Foster

The challenge of climate change and the need for a shift to more ecologically sustainable methods of production and innovation can dramatically redefine the strategy and objectives of the labor movement as a whole. Furthermore, within the specific sectors of: Agriculture, Construction, Utilities, and Automobiles, the reality of a changing environment, and social views, has already begun redefining what the future of these industries will mean in relation to labor unions.

December 10, 2011: “But What If History Has No Logos?”, Bruce Ledewitz

Hallowed Secularism

Blog post, “ “But what if history has no logos?”“ discusses politics, theology and the law in relation to religion and public life in the democratic United States of America.

Constituição, Polícia Da Dívida?, Paulo Ferreira Da Cunha

Paulo Ferreira da Cunha

Depois de em Portugal, Espanha e Alemanha (pelo menos) se falar há algum bom tempo no assunto – não sabemos de onde surgiu a primeira inspiração, mas tanto monta – , no início de Dezembro de 2011 veio da União Europeia a magna necessidade, logo secundada pelo Primeiro-ministro português, de introduzir expressamente na Constituição (já vamos ver que poderá não ser tanto assim) limites ao endividamento do Estado. Vamos fazer mais uma revisão constitucional ?