The major theme of the book “Judicial Tyranny: The New Kings of America?” by Mark I. Sutherland is the courts reaching pat their constitutionally delegated power and assuming a new role as legislators, even legislating in areas that Congress has no power in. Through the collected teachings and speeches contained within the book, Sutherland points out that basic freedoms, such as the freedom from legal restrictions on practicing religion guaranteed by the First Amendment, are currently under attack and have been for quite some time. From legal fallacies like the modern notion of “separation of church and state” to the all-out attack on the Bible in public, this book goes into detail as to what is being done and how it can be stopped.
Sutherland
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However, the new trend has been to make the document mean what you want or to just disregard it and issue new laws. The modern view is that “the Constitution is what the judges say it is (p.30)”. Sutherland throughout the book that this is assumption not correct, because if this were true, than the final authority would rest with the judges, not with the people. This line of thinking is dangerous, as it makes those tasked with interpreting the Constitution essentially able to edit it to say whatever they want, regardless of what the document actually says on a matter. With the judges making wild rulings about freedoms and laws, they are undermining and assuming the duties of Congress, something they are clearly prohibited from …show more content…
If we look at it in this light, it seems we are heading away from the rule of law and into the rule of man by the judges. Under a rule of law, the law is the highest authority and everyone in the country is under that law. The law creates a consistent standard of conduct that should be easy to understand. Under the rule of man, there is no consistency in ruling. Precedent is considered, but if the judge disagrees with the previous ruling, he can disregard it and issue the sentence or ruling that they think is correct. This will create a situation where there are no set rules and, depending on what the judge thinks is a crime, sentences will vary by degrees based on the jurisdiction that the offense is tried in. Consistency in law is an important part of the American legal
The constitution of the United States is an insightful and revolutionary idea of how a government should be practiced in order to prevent a greedy, corrupt form of government from establishing and taking over its people. The US government is founded on the principle that it works for its people, meaning that whatever is legislated is meant only for the benefit of the American people. However, the Constitution is at this point flawed due to the fact that many of its proclamations are vague and outdated, and has to be left to interpretation as to what the framers truly intended of it. This is dangerous because it further divides the nation when Americans believe in different forms of what is constitutionally righteous, and this may start a civil
How would you feel if you were not allowed to believe in your faith because of the constitution? The article, "Some Lawmakers Are Making The Separation Of Church And State Seem Like A Total Joke", written by Julia Craven (staff reporter) and edited by Nick Wing (senior viral editor) at the Huffington Post. Craven graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in International Politics and Wing graduated with a Bachelor of Art in Political Science and Journalism. This allows them to provide accurate and informational explanations about this article 's topic. In the article, they explain how lawmakers and citizens are debating the importance of separation of church and state.
If the offender is found guilty for the charge they will receive the harsher sentence, it is all about being honest within the federal courts, on determining the offenders
In America, judges have become too politicised . The government in power for example could be republican. They might appoint a judge who aligns with their political view and policy, causing that judge to interpret the constitution in such a way that allows the government to get away with something or may change rulings on a right. An example of this polarisation is the famous Bush v Gore case in 2000. In this case, a recount of votes in counties in Florida had not been undertaken, as was required due to the low majority.
From the failure of the Articles, should the new government, the Constitution, be approved? In 1788, the Constitution was created as the Articles of Confederation wasn’t successful and strong enough for their new government. During that time, a debate went throughout America about the Constitution whether to ratify it or not. Yes, the Constitution should be ratified because a Bill of Rights was promised, no one overpowered (in the government; checks and balances), and it is fair to both citizens and officials. Starting off, a bill of rights was promised which would ensure many things for the citizens.
Prior to the reading of both essays of Supreme Court Justice William Brennan and Attorney General Edwin Meese my personal opinion was to interpret the constitution as best fitting for the current situation, whatever that may be. Post reading that opinion that I held changed. After reading these essays I realized that it is more important to stick as closely to what the framers of the constitution meant as possible. As stated in Meese’s essay, “Any true approach to constitutional interpretation must respect the document in all its parts and be faithful to the Constitution in its entirety.
Alex Frost Values: Law & Society 9/23/2014 The Hollow Hope Introduction and Chapter 1 Gerald Rosenberg begins his book by posing the questions he will attempt to answer for the reader throughout the rest of the text: Under what conditions do courts produce political and social change? And how effective have the courts been in producing social change under such past decisions as Roe v. Wade and Brown v. Board of Education? He then works to define some of the principles and view points 'currently' held about the US Supreme court system.
The structure of the book has placed it at the top of the reading list for aspiring law students. It effectively maps out the Supreme Court’s ruling history and also the crucial turning point of progressing American civil liberties. Robert F. Kennedy commented on Gideon’s perseverance stating, “If an obscure Florida convict named Clarence Earl Gideon had not sat down in prison with a pencil and paper to write a letter to the Supreme Court; and if the Supreme Court had not taken the trouble to look at the merits in that one crude petition among all the bundles of mail it must receive every day, the vast machinery of
The Court’s effectiveness relies on the institutional capacities as well as the ruling’s popularity. When lower-court judges comply with Supreme Court decisions, rulings can have a substantial effect on social policies, as in the case
The Leonore Annenberg Institute for Civics video titled “Key Constitutional Concepts” explores the history of the creation of the United States Constitution in addition to key concepts crucial to the document. Two central themes explored in the video include the protection of personal rights and importance of checks and balances. The video strives to explain these concepts through Supreme Court cases Gideon v. Wainwright and Youngstown v. Sawyer. To begin, the video retraces the steps leading up to the Constitutional Convention in Virginia in 1787. It opens by explaining the conflict that led to the Revolutionary War and the fragility of the new nation.
There are different ways that judges can interpret the constitution like originalism which is the principle or belief that the original intent of an author should be adhered to in later interpretations of a work. The original intent theory, which holds the interpretation of a written constitution is consistent with what was meant by those who drafted and ratified it. This is currently a minority view among originalists. The original meaning theory, which is closely related to textualism, is the view that interpretation of a written constitution or law should be based on what reasonable persons living at the time of its adoption would have understood the ordinary meaning of the text to be. Justice Scalia was a staunch protector of free speech even though, interestingly enough Justice Scalia’s protectiveness of the First Amendment flowed more from his views on stare decisis and his respect for precedent, rather than his originalist approach to constitutional interpretation.
After the Revolutionary War had come to an end, there were many challenges the thirteen colonies had to face. There were many economic, poverty, and social problems within the country. American citizens had a difficult time to adjust to the new national problems. It severely impacted them. These problems arose with a weak government established by the Articles of Confederation.
The Constitution—the foundation of the American government—has been quintessential for the lives of the American people for over 200 years. Without this document America today would not have basic human rights, such as those stated in the Bill of Rights, which includes freedom of speech and religion. To some, the Constitution was an embodiment of the American Revolution, yet others believe that it was a betrayal of the Revolution. I personally believe that the Constitution did betray the Revolution because it did not live up to the ideals of the Revolution, and the views of the Anti-Federalists most closely embodied the “Spirit of ‘76.” During the midst of the American Revolution, authors and politicians of important documents, pamphlets, and slogans spread the basis for Revolutionary ideals and defined what is known as the “Spirit of ‘76”.
Justice Thurgood Marshall Response Justice Thurgood Marshall said in his “Reflections on the Bicentennial of the United States Constitution”, “I do not believe the meaning of the Constitution was forever ‘fixed’ at the Philadelphia Convention. Nor do I find the wisdom, foresight, and sense of justice exhibited by the framers particularly profound. To the contrary, the government they devised was defective from the start, requiring several amendments, a civil war, and momentous social transformation to attain the system of constitutional government and its respect for the individual freedoms and human rights, that we hold as fundamental as today” (Marshall). In this passage of his essay, Judge Marshall is critical of the government that is
This may cause a judge to render a decision based on obligation instead of holding true to their beliefs. This pressure is not easily felt as intensely by appointed judges, especially those with lengthy terms. In considering the equity of the pros and cons it is my opinion that the existing system in place works best. Every system is flawed.