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International Law—the Impact on National Constitutions

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 February 2017

Justice Michael Kirby*
Affiliation:
Justice of the High Court of Australia

Abstract

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Type
Seventh Annual Grotius Lecture
Copyright
Copyright © American Society of International Law 2005

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References

1 Falk,, Richard On the Recent Further Decline of International Law, in Legal Chang e : Essays in Honour of Julius Stone 264, 272 (A R Blackshield ed., 1983).Google Scholar

2 On the Law of War and Peace.

3 Weeramantry,, Christopher Opening Tribute to Hugo Grotius, 14 Am . U . Intx L. R ev. 1516, 1516 (1999). This text was also quoted by Moises Naim, The Fourth Annual Grotius Lecture: Five Wars of Globalization, 18 A m . U . Intx L. R ev. 1, 17-18 (2002).Google Scholar

4 Robinson,, Mary Shaping Globalisation: Role of Human Rights (Fifth Annual Grotius Lecture), 97 ASIL Proc. 1 (2003) (quoting Amartya Sen).Google Scholar

5 , Eric A. All Justice, Too, Is Local, N.Y. Times,Dec. 30, 2004, at A23.Google Scholar

6 This was an idea expressed by Professor Ian Brownlie, Principles of Public International Law 584 (5th ed. 1998).

7 See, e.g., India Const . ,1950, § 51(c); Pa pu a N.G. Const., 1975, § 39(3); S. Af r . Const., 1996, ch. 39, § 39(1 )b.

8 A recent example is X (FC) and Ors v. Secretary of State for the Home Department [2004] UKHL 56 (H.L.). The decision upheld an appeal by a group of detainees under the Antiterrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001(UK). A declaration was made under § 4 of the Human Rights Act 1998 (U.K.) that § 23 of the Antiterrorism Act was incompatible with arts. 5 and 14 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

9 Mabo v. Queensland [No 2] (1992) 175 C.L.R. 1, 42.

10 E.g., Atkins v. Virginia, 536 U.S. 304 (2002); Lawrence v. Texas, 539 U.S. 558 (2003); Roper v. Simmons, 125 S.Ct. 1183 (2005).

11 U.S. Supreme Court lustices Antonin Scalia & Stephen Breyer, U.S. Association of Constitutional Law Discussion, American University, Washington College of Law (Jan. 13,2005). The conversation was widely reported. See Wash. Post, Jan. 14, 2005, at 1.

12 Al-Kateb v. Godwin (2004) 78 A.L.J.R. 1099.

13 For comments critical of the evolution, see Suri Ratnapala, Sri Lanka at the Constitutional Crossroads: Gaullist Presidentialism, Westminster Democracy or Tripartite Separation of Powers?, 2003/2003 L awa sia J. 33,41 (2004).

14 Weeramantry, Christopher & Nathaniel Berman, The Grotius Lecture Series, 14 Am. U . In t ‘l L. Re v . 1515, 1520, 1558 (1999).Google Scholar

15 Referring to the writings of Judges Keba M'baye and Bedjaoui of the International Court of Justice. See generally Keba M'baye, Le Droit du Developpement Comme un Droit de L'Homme 5 Revue des droits de Vhomme 505 (1972).

16 See, e.g., Naim, supra note 3, at 17; Robinson, supra note 4, at 7.

17 Weeramantry,, Christopher A Response to Berman: In the Wake of Empire, 14 Am. U. Intx L. Rev. 1555, 1555 (1999).Google Scholar

18 Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, Keynote Address, 96 ASIL Proc. 348, 350 (2002).

19 Koowarta v. Bjelke-Petersen (1992) 153 C.L.R. 168, 224; Kioa v. West (1985) 159 C.L.R. 550, 570, 604; Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs v. Teoh (1995) 183 C.L.R. 273, 286, 298, 304.

20 Cf. I Congresso del Partido, 1 A.C. 244 at 265 (H.L. 1983); T. H. Bingham, “There Is a World Elsewhere”: The Changing Perspectives of English Law, 41 In t ‘l & Comp. L. Q. 513 (1992).

21 The Bangalore Principles are set out in 62 Austl. L. J. 531(1988); and 14 Common wealth L. Bull. 1196 (1988). The Bangalore meeting was followed by seven later meetings of Commonwealth judges. Human rights decisions of Commonwealth courts are now shared widely through the publication of the Commonwealth Law Bulletin, the work of Interights, an international center based in London, and the publication of the Law Reports o f the Commonwealth series. See http://www.interights.org>. The text of the main provisions of the Bangalore Principles is annexed to this lecture.

22 Kirby,, Michael The Role of the Judge in Advancing Human Rights by Reference to International Human Rights Norms, 62 Austl. L. J. 514, 531(1988).Google Scholar

23 T. R. S. Allan, Legislative Supremacy and the Rule of Law: Democracy and Constitutionalism, 44 C amb ridg e L. J. Ill (1985).

24 See Bangalore Principles, supra note 21, HI 2, 3, 5, 6; cf. Michael Kirby, The Impact of Human Rights Norms: A Law Undergoing Evolution, 22 C om m onwealth L. Bull. 1181, 1183-84, 1189-91 (1996).

25 (1988) 93 F.L.R. 414 (N.S.W. Ct. App.).

26 Dairy Farmers' Coop. Milk v. Acquilina (1963) 109 C.L.R. 418, 464.

27 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Dec. 19. 1966, arts. 14.1, 14.3(a), 14.3(f), 999 U.N.T.S. 171, 176, 177, 6 ILM 368, 372-73 [hereinafter ICCPR],

28 Art 14.1 provides that “ [a]U persons shall be equal before the courts and tribunals.” It also provides for a 1 ‘fair and public hearing’ ’ and requires that the decision makers be ‘ ‘competent, independent and impartial. ’ ’ ICCPR, supra note 27, art. 14.1, 999 U.N.T.S. at 175, 6 ILM at 372. Art 14.3(a), whilst specifically related to criminal process, includes a specific requirement that the party be ‘ ‘informed promptly and in detail in a language which he understands of the nature and cause” of the matter. ICCPR, supra note 27, art. 14.3(a), 999 U.N.T.S. at 177, 6 ILM at 372.

29 Applying an earlier consideration of the Bangalore Principles in Jago v. District Court (1988) 12 N.S.W.L.R. 558, 570 (N.S.W. Ct. App.).

30 (1988) 93 F.L.R. 414, 416 (N.S.W. Ct. App.) (Samuels, JA).

31 E.g., Young v. Registrar [No 3] (1993) 32 N.S.W.L.R. 262 (N.S.W. Ct. App.).

32 Kirby,, Michael The Australian Use of International Human Rights Norms: From Bangalore to Balliol—A View from the Antipodes, 16 U. N.S.W. L. J. 363, 377 (1993).Google Scholar

33 33 Mabo, 175 C.L.R. at 1. The significance was noted at the time: 66 Austl. L. J. 551, 552 (1992).

34 See, e.g., Dietrich v. The Queen (1992) 177 C.L.R. 292, 360-61, 372-73.

35 Commissioner of Stamps (SA) v. Telegraph Investment Co. (1995) 184 C.L.R. 453, 479; Plaintiff S157/2002 v. Commonwealth (2003) 211 C.L.R. 476, 492 [29]; Coleman v. Power (2004) 78 A.L.J.R. 1166, 1171-72 [17]- [23]; 1209-12 [240]-[249].

36 C f Morris v. KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, 2 A.C. 628, 657 [82], 679 [149] (H.L. 2002).

37 Austl. Const., ch. I, pt. V, § 51 (xxxi).

38 Newcrest Mining (WA) Ltd. v. Commonwealth (1997) 190 C.L.R. 513, 657, 661.

39 Austl. Const., ch. I, pt. V, § 51(xxvi) (giving the Parliament the power “ to make laws ... with respect to ... the people of any race, for whom it is deemed necessary to make special laws.” ).

40 See e.g., Kartinyeri v. Common wealth (1998) 195 C.L.R. 337, 417-18.

41 See, e.g., Polites v. Common wealth (1945) 70 C.L.R. 60, 69, 74, 75, 79, 82-83.

42 E.g., Horta v. Commonwealth (1994) 181 C.L.R. 183, 195.

43 Kartinyeri v Commonwealth (1998), 195 C.L.R. at 386 [101],

44 See, e.g., Austin v. Commonwealth (2003) 215 C.L.R. 185, 291-93 [252]-[257],

45 Bangalore Principles, supra note 21,1 8; see 62 Austl. L. J. 531, 532 (1988).

46 Free Zones of Upper Savoy and the District of Gex (Fr.-Switz.), 1932 PCIJ (ser A/B) No. 46, at 167 (June 7th); Treatment of Polish Nationals and Other Persons of Polish Origin or Speech in the Danzig Territory, 1932 PCU (ser A /B ) No. 44, at 24 (Feb. 4th); Fisheries (U.K.-Nor.), 1951ICJ Rep. 115, 181 (Dec. 18) (dissenting opinion of Sir Arnold McNair); c.f Ian Brownlie, Principles of International Law (6th ed., 2003), 34; Sir Gerald Fitzmaurice, The General Principles of International Law Considered from the Standpoint of the Rule of Law, 92 Recueildes Cours 1, 68 (1957).

47 Vivian Grosswald Curran, Fear of Formalism: Indications from the Fascist Period in France and Germany of Judicial Methodology's Impact on Substantive Law, 35 C o rn ell In t'l L. J. 101, 169-71 (2002); Matthew Lippman, Law, Lawyers, and Equality in the Third Reich: The Perversion of Principle and Professionalism, 11 T em p. In t'l & C om p. L. J. 199, 233 (1997); David Luban, A Report on the Legality of Evil: The Case of the Nazi Judges, 61 B ro o k L. R e v . 1139, 1141—44 (1995). I am indebted to Justice B . M. Selway of the Federal Court of Australia for his unpublished paper, The Role of Judges in Protecting Human Rights (forthcoming 2005) where there is discussion of this topic.

48 Craven,, Greg Judicial Activism: The Beginning of the End of the Beginning, in Upholding the Australian Constitution (Proceeding sof the 16th Conference of the Samu el Griffith Society) 153, 169 (2004).Google Scholar

49 Id. at 169.

50 Al-Kateb, 78 A.L.J.R. at 1099.

51 Atkins, 536 U.S. at 347-48.

52 Lawrence, 539 U.S. at 586.

53 Roper, 125 S.Ct. at 1183.

54 Al-Kateb, 78 A.L.J.R. at 1112 [62].

55 Id. at 1112 [63].

56 Id. at 1113 [64]—[65].

57 Id. at 1114 [69].

58 Id. at 1115 [71] (emphasis added).

59 Id. at 1115 [73]. The Australian Constitution provides for formal amendments. Austl. Const, ch. V III, § 128 (mandating passage of the proposal through the federal parliament and an affirmative vote nationally and in a majority of the states).

60 For the majority were Justices McHugh, Hayne, Callinan, and Heydon; Chief Justice Gleeson, Justice Gummow, and myself dissented.

61 Lawrence, 539 U.S. at 576.

62 Al-Kateb, 78 A.L.J.R. 1134 (citations omitted).

63 With reference to the extracurial remarks of Justice Ginsburg in Ruth Bader Ginsburg & Deborah Jones Merritt, Fifty-First Cardozo Memorial Lecture—Affirmative Action: An International Human Rights Dialogue, 21 Cardozo L. Rev. 253, 282 (1999).

64 Stanford,, Scott v.60 U.S. 393, 534, 556-57 (1856) (McLean, J., dissenting).Google Scholar

65 Id. at 594-97, 601 (Curtis, J., dissenting).

66 Id. at 393.

67 Al-Kateb, 78 A.L.J.R. at 1136 [190],

68 Id. at 1136 [191].

69 See, e.g., Riley v Attorney-General of Jamaica 1 A.C. 719, 729 (P.C. 1983).

70 Murray Gleeson, Centenary of the High Court: Lessons from History, in 1 3th Australian Institute of Judicial Administration (AIJA ) Or ation iniudicial administration 8 (2003).

71 Cf. Stoner,, James ReistCommon Law and Liberal Theory: Coke, Hobbes and the Origin sof American Constitutionalism 48-68 (1992).Google Scholar

72 Kirby,, Michael Constitutional Interpretation and Original IntentA Form of Ancestor Worship ?, 24 Melboure U. L. Rev. 1, 2 (2000). The description derives from a comment of Justice Binnie of the Supreme Court of Canada.Google Scholar

73 Posner,, Richard Could I Interest You in Some Foreign Law? No Thanks, We Already Have Our Own Laws, Legal Aff., July-Aug. 2004, at 40, 41 (2004).Google Scholar

74 Id. at 42.

75 Wells,, Michael International Norms in Constitutional Law, 32 Ga. J. In t'l & C om p. L. 429, 436 (2004).Google Scholar

76 Neuman,, Gerald L. The Uses of International Law in Constitutional Interpretation, 98 AJIL 82, 87 (2004).Google Scholar

77 Koh,, Harold Hongju International Law as Part of Our Law, 98 AJIL 43, 47 (2004).Google Scholar

78 Wells, supra note 75, at 429-30.

79 Scalia & Breyer, supra note 11, at 8, 14. This is also a point mentioned by Justice Scalia in Olympic Airways Ltd v. Husain, 124 S.Ct. 1221, 1231 (2004) (Scalia, J., dissenting); and in Roper v. Simmons, 543 U.S. at 83 (2005) (Scalia, J., dissenting).

80 Scalia & Breyer, supra note 11, at 22.

81 Posner, supra note 73, at 41-42.

82 Id. at 42 (2004). See also Roger P. Alford, Misusing International Sources to Interpret the Constitution, 98 AJIL 57, 67 (2004).

83 Scalia & Breyer, supra note 11, at 40.

84 Koh, supra note 77, at 56.

85 Scalia & Breyer, supra note 11, at 7.

86 Atkins, 536 U.S. at 347^8.

87 Simpson, Amelia &Williams,, George International Law and Constitutional Interpretation, 11 Pub . L. Rev. 205, 225 (2000).Google Scholar

88 Knop,, Karen Here and There: International Law in Domestic Courts, 32 N.Y.U. J. Intl L. & Pol . 501, 50506 (2000).Google Scholar

89 Abram Chayes&Antonia Handler Chayes, The New Sovereignty: Compliancewith International Regulatory Agreements 27 (1995).

90 Koh, supra note 77, at 53.

91 Cf. Capital Cities Communication Inc v. Canadian Radio-Television Comm'n [1978] 2 SCR 141.

92 Piotrowicz,, Ryszard Unincorporated Treaties in Australian Law, Pub. L., Summer 1996, at 190, 195; Gareth Evans, The Impact of Internationalisation on Australian Law: A Commentary, in Courts of F in a l Jurisdiction 240 (Cheryl Saunders ed., 1996); see also Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs v. Teoh (1995) 183 C.L.R. 273, 313 (McHugh, J., dissenting).Google Scholar

93 Madelaine Chiam, Comment: Evaluating Australia's Treaty-Making Process, 15 Pub . L. Rev. 265 (2004).

94 Teoh, 183 C.L.R. at 288.

95 Simpson & Williams, supra note 87, at 218.

96 Id. at 222.

97 Michael Kirby, The Role of International Standards in Australian Courts, in Treaty-making and Australia : Globalisation versus So vereignty? 81, 87 (Philip Alston & Madelaine Chiam eds., 1995).

98 Posner, supra note 73, at 42.

99 Wells, supra note 75, at 433.

100 Rubenfeld,, Jed Unilateralism and Constitutionalism, 79 N.Y.U. L. Rev. 1971, 2017-18 (2004);Google Scholar cf. Bianchi,, A. International haw and US Courts: The Myth of Lohengrin Revisited, 15 Eur. J. In t'L L. 751, 775 (2004).Google Scholar

101 As for Australia, see Simpson & Williams, supra note 87, at 223.

102 Wells, supra note 75, at 432.

103 Scalia & Breyer, supra note 11, at 40.

104 Koh, supra note 77, at 43.

105 Scalia & Breyer, supra note 11, at 27.

106 Wells, supra note 75, at 434.

107 Justice Stephen Breyer, Keynote Address, 97 ASIL Pr o c . 265, 266 (2003).

108 Alford, supra note 82, at 64.

109 E.g., Sarah Joseph et al., The International Covenanton Civil and Political Rights: Cases, Materials and Commentary(2d ed. 2004); Lord Lester & David Pannick, Human Rights Law and Practice(2d ed. 2004); Henry J. Steiner & Philip Alston, International Human Rights in Context(2d ed. 2000).

110 Cf. Richard L. Hasen, The Supreme Court and Election Law:Judging Equality fromBaker v.CarrtoBush v. gore164 (2003).

111 leave aside serious crimes of universal jurisdiction. See Kirby,, Michael Universal Jurisdiction and Judicial Reluctance: A New “Fourteen Points”, in Universal Jurisdiction 240, 259 (Stephen Macedo ed., 2004).Google Scholar

112 Roper, 125 S.Ct. at 1200.

113 Reference re Public Service Employees Relations Act (Alberta) [1987] 1 S.C.R. 313 at 348 [57].

114 Knop, supra note 88, at 518 (quoting Antonio Lamer, Address at the International Conference on Enforcing International Human Rights Law: The Treaty System in the 21st Century (June 22, 1997)); Claire L'Heureux-Dube, The Importance of Dialogue: Globalization and the International Impact of the Rehnquist Court, 32 U. L.S.A. L. J. 15, 24 (1998).

115 Mathew v. State, 3 W.L.R. 812 at [13] (2004).

116 Presumption of Innocence and the European Convention on Human Rights (1987) B verf G E74,358, translated into English in decisions of the Bundesverfassungsgericht—Federal Constitutional Court—Federal Republic of Germany, Vol l/ii(1992) at 637-638.

117 Vishaka v. State of Rajastan A.I.R. 1997 S.C . 3011, 3015. See GuruPrasanna Singh, P rinciples of Sta tuto ry In terpreta tion 529 (9th ed., 2004).

118 Hiiveta v. Wingti, [1994] BNGLR 197.

119 Schum Kwok Sher v. H. K. SAR [2002] 2 HK LKRD 793 at [59] per Mason NPJ.

120 Ex parte Attorney-General (Namibia), 1991 (3) SA 76, 86.

121 Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace in Zimbabwe v. Attorney-General, 1993 (4) SA 239, 247-48 (Gubbay, C.J.).

122 Barak,, Aharon Foreword: A Judge on Judging: The Role of a Supreme Court in Democracy, 116 HaRV. L. Rev. 16, 69 (2002).Google Scholar

123 Ref Re Public Service Employee Relations Act (Alberta), [1987] S.C.R. 313, 348.

124 S. v. Makwanyane 1995 (3) SA 391 at 413 [34] (a case on the death penalty).

125 Barak, supra note 122, at 110.

126 Christenson,, Gordon A. Using Human Rights Law to Inform Due Process and Equal Protection Analyses, 52 U. C incinnati L. Rev. 3, 17 (1983).Google Scholar

127 Bodansky, The Use of International Sources in Constitutional Opinions, 32 Georgia J Intl Comp L 421 at 421 (2004).

128 Simpson & Williams, supra note 87, at 217.

129 Diane Marie Amann, “Raise the Flag and Let It Talk”: On the Use of External Norms in Constitutional Decision Making, 2 In t ‘l J. Const. L. 597, 60 6 (2004).

130 Claire L'Heureux-Dube, Realizing Equality in the Twentieth Century: The Role of the Supreme Court of Canada in Comparative Perspective, 1 In t'l J. Const. L. 35, 36 (2003).

131 C f J. Clifford Wallace, Globalization of Judicial Education, 28 Yale J. In t'l L. 355, 360 (2003).

132 Knop, supra note 88, at 517; Anne-Marie Slaughter, Judicial Globalization, 40 V a . J. In t'l L. 1103,1103 (2000).

133 Societe Nationale Industrielle Aerospatiale v. United States Dist. Court, 482 U.S. 522, 555, 567 (1987) (Blackmun, J., dissenting).

134 See, e.g., Olympic Airways, 124 S.Ct. at 1231 (Scalia, J., dissenting).

135 Austl. Const, ch. Ill, § 77(iii) (“ [investing any court of a State with federal jurisdiction.” ).

136 Brownlie, supra note 6, at 584; see also Reference re Secession of Quebec [1998] 2 S.C.R. 217, 234—35 [20]—[22]; Gibran van Ert, U sing International L aw in Canadian Courts 44-45 (2002); Daniel Turp & Gibran van Ert, International Recognition in the Supreme Court of Canada's Quebec Reference, 36 Can. Y .B . In t'l L. 335 (1998).

137 Bodansky, supra note 127, at 421; Neuman, supra note 76, at 87.

138 Cambridge, 2004, p 278.

139 Al-Kateb, 78 A.L.J.R. at 1132 [173],

140 One of the forums of significance is the Global Constitutionalism seminar series conducted most years by the Yale Law School. It is attended by senior judges of final courts of several countries together with judges of international and regional courts and tribunals.

141 O'Connor, supra note 18, at 353.

142 Owen Fiss, T h e L aw as It C ould B e 228 (2003).

143 David Kennedy, The Twentieth-Century Discipline of International Law in the United States, in Looking Back at Law 's Century 386, 410 (Austin Sarat et al. eds., 2002).

144 Rabbinical Instruction, Pirkei Avot (Ethics of the Fathers) attributed to Rabbi Tarphon, 2nd Century AD, quoted in L Star, lulius Stone (1992) at xii.