Constitutional Law Commons^™

Constitutional Constancy: Why Congress Should Cure Itself Of Amendment Fever, Kathleen M. Sullivan

Cardozo Law Review

The annual Benjamin N. Cardozo Lecture was delivered at the House of the Association on October 25, 1995, in memory of Benjamin N. Cardozo.

Structures Of Environmental Criminal Enforcement, Michael E. Herz

Articles

No abstract provided.

The Original Constitution And Our Origins, John O. Mcginnis

Articles

The question why we should be bound by the original Constitution often is framed as why we should be guided by the dead hand of the past. The notion that this venerable document should be viewed as a possibly unfortunate constraint on our present potential as a society contains an implicit premise about man in history. According to this view, it is open to man to make his history in each generation through some collective cultural process. Given such a premise, it seems plausible to believe that each generation should enjoy the opportunity to decide anew whether to submit to …

The Once And Future Property-Based Vision Of The First Amendment, John O. Mcginnis

Articles

The growth of the information superhighway depends not only on technological developments, but also on our society's commitment to the free flow of information. Paradoxically, however, as the digital revolution in telecommunications is bringing the information superhighway into sharp focus, the justifications for contemporary First Amendment jurisprudence are becoming blurred.

The New Ethiopian Constitution: Its Impact Upon Unity, Human Rights And Development, Minasse Haile

Articles

The 1994 Ethiopian Constitution, while intended to address historical injustices, has exacerbated tribalism, human rights violations, and poverty by establishing a flawed federal system based on ethnic affiliation. The Constitution grants excessive autonomy to ethnic-based states, undermining national unity and central authority. Its lack of enforceable limitations on government power, absence of judicial review, and emphasis on secession have created a system prone to instability and human rights abuses. The article argues that the Constitution's structure, inspired by defunct Soviet models, is ill-suited to Ethiopia's needs, threatening its democracy, development, and cohesion.

Forms Of Constitution Making And Theories Of Democracy, Andrew Arato

Cardozo Law Review

There are those who still think that constitution making is a task that rests wholly within the realm of lawyers. Indeed, all constitutional texts in modem times have been drafted by lawyers. Behind the texts, however, are the most important political actors and forces of a given society, persuading some interpreters to take the view that constitution making represents the work of the political, of political politics, and of le pouvoir constituant. In such a conception, whoever holds the "constituent power," or acts in its name, hires the lawyers. But does the method of constitution making really matter? Either …

The Journey Into Activism, Bernhard Schlink

Cardozo Law Review

In Anna Karenina, Leo Tolstoy teaches us that all happy families are alike and only unhappy families are different. It is the same with courts that engage in constitutional review. All happy constitutional courts, that is, all happily activist constitutional courts are alike and only those that do not play an activist role are different.

The United Kingdom, The European Court Of Human Rights, And Constitutional Review, A. W. Bradley

Cardozo Law Review

The aim of this Article is to consider whether there is now in the United Kingdom the embryo of a procedure for constitutional review that results from the United Kingdom's adherence to the European Convention on Human Rights as well as the burgeoning case law being developed by the European Court of Human Rights. To the extent that such an embryo exists, I hope to show that this is a development which has not been directly willed by the United Kingdom Parliament, nor by successive United Kingdom governments. Assuming that this process deserves to be described as piecemeal constitution making, …

Constitutional Justice And Democracy, Michel Troper

Cardozo Law Review

The issue of the compatibility of constitutional justice and democracy is considered in a particular way in France, for reasons relating both to the history of the legal culture and tothe peculiarities of the Constitutional Council, the institution which reviews the constitutionality of legislation.

“A One Way Ticket To Palookaville”: Supreme Court Takings Jurisprudence After Dolan And Its Implication For New York City’S Waterfront Zoning Resolution, Jill Illan Berger Inbar

Cardozo Law Review

This Note will use the Waterfront Ordinance as a vehicle for examining the new heightened scrutiny standard introduced in Dolan. Part I provides an overview of takings jurisprudence and the traditional pre-Nollan and pre-Dolan standards, which were applied to determine whether an exercise of police power oversteps its bounds and interferes with private property rights guaranteed under the Fifth Amendment. Part II reviews the new standards espoused by the Supreme Court in Nollan and Dolan. Part III describes the purpose of New York City's 1993. Waterfront Zoning Ordinance and discusses its history, objectives, and provisions. Part …

United Mizrahi Bank V. Migdal Cooperative Village, Aharon Barak, Gavriel Bach, Eliezer Goldberg, Dov Levin, Eliahu Mazza, Tzevi Eliyahu Tal, Itzchak Zamir, Meir Shamgar, Mishael Cheshin

Translated Opinions

The Family Agricultural Sector (Arrangements) Law was adopted by the Knesset in 1992, as part of an attempt to rehabilitate Israel’s agricultural sector following a severe economic crises. To that end, the law established a body called the “rehabilitator,” which was granted broad authority to settle, restructure and cancel debts that had been created up to the end of 1987. In 1993, the Knesset found it necessary to intervene again, and amended the law. Among other changes, the Family Agricultural Sector (Arrangements) (Amendment) Law, 5753-1993, redefined the debts subject to the law, and extended the applicable time period so that …

Miller V. Minister Of Defence, Eliahu Mazza, Dalia Dorner, Tova Strasberg-Cohen, Yaakov Kedmi, Tzevi Eliyahu Tal

Translated Opinions

Facts: The petitioner asked the army to assign her to the air force for training as a pilot. The army refused, since it was established policy not to train women as pilots. The army’s reasoning was based on the length of service: by law, men are obliged to serve until the age of 54, whereas women are only obliged to serve until the age of 38, and they are exempt if they are pregnant or have children. Consequently, the army argued, the huge investment involved in training a pilot could not be justified for women, and planning for the deployment …

The Constitutionality Of Legislative Supermajority Requirements: A Defense, John O. Mcginnis, Michael B. Rappaport

Articles

No abstract provided.

The Reach Of Rights In The New Russian Constitution, Antti Korkeakivi

Cardozo Journal of International and Comparative Law

The new Russian Constitution incorporates a comprehensive catalogue of human rights, largely mirroring international standards and Western democracies, while retaining elements influenced by Soviet tradition. It rejects the socialist notion that rights are state-granted, declaring them inalienable and innate. However, the Constitution’s effectiveness in protecting these rights remains uncertain, as its success hinges on the judiciary’s ability to enforce them independently, despite historical weaknesses and ongoing concerns about judicial autonomy.

A Comparative Analysis Of Internal Controls On The Transfer Of Waste Within The E.U. And U.S., Christopher J. Foreman

Cardozo Journal of International and Comparative Law

The article examines the legal frameworks governing the interstate and international movement of waste, focusing on the tension between environmental protection and free trade. It highlights how the U.S. Supreme Court has consistently struck down state laws that discriminate against out-of-state waste under the Commerce Clause, emphasizing the need for nondiscriminatory solutions. In contrast, the European Union prioritizes environmental protection and self-sufficiency, allowing restrictions on waste movement under specific conditions. The article suggests that a more coherent framework is needed to balance these competing interests effectively.

Attorney General V. National Labour Court, Dov Levin, Mishael Cheshin, Tzevi Eliyahu Tal

Translated Opinions

Facts: The second petitioner, the Bezeq Corporation, had a monopoly in the field of providing telephone services in Israel. When the Government decided to allow competition in this field, the General Federation of Labour feared that the restriction of the monopoly would affect the jobs and rights of Bezeq’s employees, and it therefore gave notice of a strike. The petitioners applied to the Regional Labour Court for an injunction against the strike. The injunction was given, but the National Labour Court overturned it on appeal. The petitioners then petitioned the High Court of Justice to set aside the judgment of …

Fundamental Constitutional Rights In The New Constitutions Of Eastern And Central Europe, Rett R. Ludwikowski

Cardozo Journal of International and Comparative Law

The article examines the constitutional transformations in Eastern and Central Europe following the fall of communism, focusing on the integration of Western ideals with socialist legacies. It highlights the challenges faced by countries like Albania, Bulgaria, and Romania in drafting new constitutions that balance individual liberties with state interests, while addressing issues such as minority rights, religious freedom, and economic transitions. The analysis reveals a blend of Western and socialist influences in these constitutions, with significant strides in human rights protections, yet ongoing challenges in enforcement and societal acceptance.

Accountability And Mandates: Redefining The Problem Of Federal Spending Conditions, Edward A. Zelinsky

Articles

No abstract provided.

William Gardiner Hammond And The Lieber Revival, Paul D. Carrington

Cardozo Law Review

Francis Lieber's Legal and Political Hermeneutics was first published in serial form in 1837. Jacksonian populism was then at high water and American judges and lawyers were acknowledged as politicians. Interpretation of legal texts was seen as a political activity. His work was so well received that a hard cover edition was published in 1839.

The edition presented in this issue was prepared by William Gardiner Hammond in 1880. Jacksonian politics were then in retreat before a rising tide of technocratic professionalism. Many lawyers and judges were disowning the political mission of American law and aspiring to be technocrats. To …

"Fetch Some Soupmeat", William N. Eskridge Jr.

Cardozo Law Review

Although first published over 150 years ago, Francis Lieber's Legal and Political Hermeneutics remains broadly influential, and the soupmeat hypothetical in particular has been reproduced in the most widely read twentieth-century legal texts for teaching statutory interpretation. The directive, "fetch some soupmeat," seems straightforward in most situations, because the housekeeper and the servant are operating under the same assumptions, and because their shared assumptions are borne out as the servant goes about his task. Lieber's project-and the project of any sophisticated theoretical treatment of statutory interpretation-was to explore the many ways in which "fetch some soupmeat" proves susceptible to surprising …

The Limits Of Lieber, Lawrence Lessig

Cardozo Law Review

Texts are transportable. They move. Because written, they are carried. Because carried, they are read-in different places and at different times. Nothing (save the loss of the original language or the original text) can stop this semiotic peripateticism. If you write it, it will roam.

Benjamin Nathan Cardozo The Teacher, Joseph W. Bellacosa

Cardozo Law Review

The forty-seventh Cardozo Memorial Lecture, delivered in memory of Benjamin N. Cardozo at the House of the Association on November 9, 1994.

Nahmani V. Nahmani, Tova Strasberg-Cohen, Aharon Barak, Dov Levin, Itzchak Zamir, Tzevi Eliyahu Tal

Translated Opinions

Facts: Ruth and Daniel Nahmani, a married couple, were unable to have a child because of an operation that Ruth underwent. They therefore decided to try in-vitro fertilization of Ruth’s ova with Daniel’s sperm and implanting the fertilized ova in a surrogate mother. Under Israeli law, surrogacy was not permitted and in-vitro fertilization was only permitted for implantation in the mother. Because of the great expense of the in-vitro fertilization procedure in the United States, the couple petitioned the Supreme Court, sitting as the High Court of Justice, to allow the in-vitro fertilization procedure to be conducted in Israel, for …

The Alleged Unaccountability Of The Academic: A Biographical Sketch Of Carl Schmitt, Manfred H. Wiegandt

Cardozo Law Review

In recent years, especially after the breakdown of the Soviet bloc, we have witnessed numerous attempts to establish viable democratic structures in states formerly in the tight grip of dictatorially ruling elites, be it in the countries of the former Communist bloc, at the African Cape, or in Latin America. The questions that concern people in these regions above all are how their systems can be made strong enough to survive the economic crises that go along with establishing democratic frameworks and how the states can ensure the necessary coherence to survive on the background of a lingering challenge by …

A Future Without Formalities, Irwin Karp

Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Introduction, Jamey Gambrell

Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal

No abstract provided.

The Identity Of The Constitutional Subject, Michel Rosenfeld

Cardozo Law Review

The identity of the constitutional subject is elusive and problematic as uncontroverted foundations are hard to come by in contemporary constitutional regimes. The notion of the constitutional subject is itself ambiguous because it is not clear whether it refers to those subject to the constitution, or to the makers of the constitution, or to the subject matter of the constitution. Moreover, even if the who or what of the constitutional subject were settled, the concept of constitutional identity would still be fraught with difficulties. Not only is constitutional identity likely to change over time, but it is also likely to …

National Socialism And Constitutional Law: Carl Schmitt, Otto Koellreutter, And The Debate Over The Nature Of The Nazi State, 1993-1937, Peter Caldwell

Cardozo Law Review

On January 30, 1933, President von Hindenburg named Adolf Hitler chancellor of the German Republic. One year later, the conservative (and by then National Socialist) constitutional lawyer, Carl Schmitt noted that Hitler's chancellorship was an event that had "already led beyond the Weimar Constitution." But where had the seizure of power led? What was the nature of the new constitution of the German Empire? As historian David Schoenbaum has noted, 1933 was a kind of "constitutional no man's land"; it was unclear how the principles enumerated in the Nazi Party Program of 1920 would translate into the reality of the …

The Religious Freedom Restoration Act: Letting The Fox Into The Henhouse Under Cover Of Section 5 Of The Fourteenth Amendment, Marci A. Hamilton

Cardozo Law Review

The Religious Freedom Restoration Act ("RFRA") has now been in effect for over a year. RFRA is an understandable, but unconstitutional, attempt to supplement the contemporary Supreme Court's crabbed reading of the Free Exercise Clause. In a nutshell, RFRA sets the standard of review-the "compelling interest" test-to be applied to federal and state law burdening the free exercise of religious conduct. RFRA has already been employed to decide a series of cases, most of which were brought by prison inmates. The time rapidly approaches when the courts of appeals, and even the Supreme Court, will be asked to pass on …

El-Al Israel Airlines V. Danielowitz, Aharon Barak, Dalia Dorner, Yaakov Kedmi

Translated Opinions

Facts: The first respondent, who is employed by El-Al as a flight attendant, has a stable relationship with another man. Under a collective agreement, El-Al gives every permanent employee a free aeroplane ticket, every year, for that employee and his/her spouse (husband or wife). Under a collective arrangement, a free ticket is also given to a companion recognized publicly as the employee’s husband/wife. The first respondent asked El-Al to give him a free ticket for his companion, but his request was denied.

Held: (Majority opinion — Vice-President A. Barak, Justice D. Dorner) Not giving the respondent a free ticket for …