Constitutional Law Commons^™

The Sum Of All Delegated Power: A Response To Richard Primus, The Limits Of Enumeration, Kurt T. Lash

Law Faculty Publications

In his provocative article, The Limits of Enumeration, Richard Primus rejects what he calls the “internal-limits canon” and challenges the assumption that the powers of Congress do not add up to a general police power, such that “there are things Congress cannot do, even without reference to affirmative prohibitions like those in the Bill of Rights.” Primus does not claim that federal power actually does amount to a general police power, only that it might. His principal claim is that nothing in the theoretical nature of enumerated power requires an a priori limit on the aggregate scope of delegated authority. …

Treaty Termination And Historical Gloss, Curtis A. Bradley

Faculty Scholarship

The termination of U.S. treaties provides an especially rich example of how governmental practices can provide a “gloss” on the Constitution’s separation of powers. The authority to terminate treaties is not addressed specifically in the constitutional text and instead has been worked out over time through political-branch practice. This practice, moreover, has developed largely without judicial review. Despite these features, Congress and the President—and the lawyers who advise them—have generally treated this issue as a matter of constitutional law rather than merely political happenstance. Importantly, the example of treaty termination illustrates not only how historical practice can inform constitutional understandings …

Meta Rights, Charlotte Garden

Fordham Law Review

Are individuals entitled to notice of their constitutional rights or assistance in exercising those rights? In most contexts, the answer is no. Yet, there are some important exceptions, in which the U.S. Supreme Court has held that special circumstances call for notice and procedural protections designed to facilitate rights invocations. This Article refers to these entitlements as “meta rights”—rights that protect rights. The most famous of these is the Miranda warning, which notifies suspects of their Fifth Amendment rights to silence and an attorney. There are others as well—among them, the First Amendment right of individuals represented by public sector …

The End Of Religious Freedom: What Is At Stake?, Nelson Tebbe

Cornell Law Faculty Publications

In recent work, Steven Smith argues that the American tradition of religious freedom is newly imperiled and may even be nearing exhaustion. This Review puts to one side the substance of that argument and focuses instead on what the stakes might be, should it turn out to be correct. It concludes that the consequences would not be as severe as many people fear.

From Google To Tolstoy Bot: Should The First Amendment Protect Speech Generated By Algorithms?, Margot Kaminski

Publications

No abstract provided.

“. . . Speak Now Or Forever Hold Your Peace . . .” —The Influence Of Constitutional Argument On Same-Sex Marriage Legislation Debates In Australia, Neville Rochow

BYU Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Unnecessary And Restrictive Constitutional Amendments Concerning Religious Freedom In Mexico, Javier Saldaña Serrano

BYU Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Shinto Cases: Religion, Culture, Or Both—The Japanese Supreme Court And Establishment Of Religion Jurisprudence, Frank S. Ravitch

BYU Law Review

No abstract provided.

Liberal Democracy And The Right To Religious Freedom, Aldir Guedes Soriano

BYU Law Review

Foremost, this paper examines the current situation of the rights to religious freedom and democracy around the world, which deserve attention and concern. Civil liberties are currently in crossfire. This article examines the foundations of the right to religious freedom. Depending on the philosophical foundations, there are two different rationales for the right to religious freedom: liberal and anti-liberal. According to the liberal tradition, the best reason to protect religious freedom rests upon the autonomy of the individual conscience. It is clear that a constitutional democracy does not allow the establishment of any religion by the government, using either executive …

Too Strict?, Richard B. Collins

Publications

Should the strict scrutiny standard govern judicial review of claims that government has burdened religious freedom? American law’s patchwork of rules applies that demanding standard to some claims but denies any meaningful review to others. A major difficulty is that most claims alleging denial of religious freedom depend on beliefs that cannot be reviewed by secular courts. Claims based on allegations alone shift the burden to the defending government. Strict scrutiny purports to make justification very difficult; governments are supposed to lose most cases. A second defect of the test in religious freedom cases is its failure to consider harm …

The Conflict Of Visions In Nfib V. Sebelius, Jonathan H. Adler

Faculty Publications

In 2010, few anticipated the fate of healthcare reform would rest with the Supreme Court. Yet National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius [hereinafter NFIB] emerged as a watershed case that could remake the constitutional landscape. NFIB presented a conflict between two constitutional visions of federal power and the role of the courts in policing such limits--an unconstrained vision, under which limits on federal power are enforced primarily through the political process, and a constrained vision, under which constitutional limits on federal power are enforced by the courts. The contrasting views of the constitutionality of the individual mandate and …

Knight V. Thompson: The Eleventh Circuit's Perpetuation Of Historical Practices Of Colonization, Randi Dawn Gardner Hardin

American Indian Law Review

No abstract provided.

Report As To Proposed Pilot Project On The Electronic Monitoring Of Forensic Mental Health Patients, Elaine Gibson, Leah Hutt, Sheila Wildeman, Constance Macintosh

Reports & Public Policy Documents

This report was undertaken in response to a request from the Nova Scotia government for assistance in identifying and analyzing legal issues related to the potential establishment of a pilot project. The project would involve the use of electronic monitoring (EM) of forensic mental health patients (patients) detained at the East Coast Forensic Hospital (ECFH) who are exercising indirectly supervised and unescorted community access (community access). The purpose of our analysis is not to determine if an EM policy or its application violates any laws. Rather, the purpose is to consider whether there are factors that may support legal challenges …

Meta Rights, Charlotte Garden

Faculty Articles

Are individuals entitled to notice of their constitutional rights or assistance in exercising those rights? In most contexts, the answer is no. Yet, there are some important exceptions, in which the Court has held that special circumstances call for notice and procedural protections designed to facilitate rights invocations. This article refers to these entitlements as “meta rights” — rights that protect rights. The most famous of these is the Miranda warning, which notifies suspects of their Fifth Amendment rights to silence and an attorney. There are others as well — among them, the First Amendment right of individuals represented by …

The Slow Evolution Of Second Amendment Law, Joan H. Miller

Seattle University Law Review Online

Shortly after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting left twenty children and six adults dead, a public movement ensued. The movement demanded that gun violence be addressed as a public health issue. While the movement led to successful gun control reform in a few states, it was unable to gain any traction in the federal government and had the opposite effect in others states where firearms became easier to own, carry, and conceal. Joan Miller provides an update on changes in the Second Amendment law that have occurred since her Article, The Second Amendment Goes to College, was published in …

"Hobby-Lobby"-Ing For Religious Freedom: Crafting The Religious Employer Exemption To The Ppaca, Emily Pitt Mattingly

Kentucky Law Journal

No abstract provided.

The Kentucky Religious Freedom Act: Neither A Savior For The Free Exercise Of Religion Nor A Monstrous Threat To Civil Rights, Jennifer A. Pekman

Kentucky Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Constitutional Law, Jethro Lieberman

Other Publications

No abstract provided.

Constitutionalism, Jethro K. Lieberman

Other Publications

No abstract provided.

The Constitutionality Of Negotiated Criminal Judgments In Germany, Thomas Weigend, Jenia I. Turner

Faculty Journal Articles and Book Chapters

In a long-awaited judgment, the German Constitutional Court in 2013 upheld the constitutionality of the 2009 German law authorizing the negotiation of criminal judgments between the court and the parties. In this Article, we provide background on recent developments in “plea bargaining” law and practice in Germany and offer a critique of the Court’s decision.

The Court attempted to rein in negotiated judgments by giving the statute a literal reading, emphasizing the limitations it places on negotiations, and strictly prohibiting any consensual disposition outside the statutory framework. The Court builds its judgment on the notion that the search for truth, …