The Constitution as Treaty: The International Legal Constructionalist Approach to the U.S. Constitution

Francisco Forrest Martin0521881935, 9780521881937, 9780511355790

The Constitution as Treaty addresses U.S. constitutional interpretation from a novel, yet originalist perspective: the U.S. Constitution is a treaty. As a treaty, the Constitution must be construed in conformity with the United States’ international legal obligations. This book specifically examines how federal courts are international courts and as international courts, how they can directly apply international law and construe federal law in conformity with international law. Most importantly, The Constitution as Treaty demonstrates that the federal courts’ authority to review the constitutionality of federal and state law is based on international law.

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Table of contents :
Cover……Page 1
Half-title……Page 3
Title……Page 5
Copyright……Page 6
Dedication……Page 7
Contents……Page 9
Prologue……Page 13
Introduction……Page 15
What Is Our Constitution?……Page 17
Our Constitution Is a Treaty……Page 18
Constitutional Canards……Page 23
Correctly Conceptualizing Our Constitutional System……Page 27
Conclusion: Constitutional Coherence Constructed on International Law……Page 28
Part I united states courts as international courts……Page 33
1
Final Judicial Review Authority of Federal
and Other International Courts……Page 40
1.1 Judicial review……Page 41
International Judicial Review of National Law……Page 43
International Judicial Review of Laws Promulgated by an Institution Vested with Lawmaking Authority under a Treaty……Page 44
International Judicial Review of State Constitutional and Statutory Law……Page 47
Final and Conclusive Authority of International Tribunals……Page 49
1.2 Only international legal constructionism provides
sufficient justification of federal judicial review……Page 54
2
The Fallacy of Federal Judicial Activism
in Light of International Law’s Non Liquet
Prohibition Principle……Page 64
Part II international law……Page 73
3 The positive law of nations and its interpretive principles……Page 76
3.1. Treaties……Page 78
The Namibia Rule……Page 79
3.2. Customary international law……Page 82
The Persistent Objector Rule……Page 87
Emergence and Crystallization Rules……Page 91
3.3. General principles of law recognized by civilized nations……Page 106
3.4. Subsidiary interpretive sources……Page 109
4 The natural law of nations……Page 114
Part III United states law as international law……Page 119
5
Article III, International Legal Interpretation……Page 121
5.1 U.s. constitution: the international legal constructionist approach……Page 122
The Lynham Liberal Construction Rule……Page 127
The Limits of the Non-Self–Execution Doctrine……Page 132
5.3 Federal statutes: implementing the constitution and other treaties……Page 144
The Charming Betsy Rule……Page 145
The International Illegitimacy of the Last-in-Time Rule……Page 149
6
Extra–Article III, International Legal
Interpretation……Page 162
6.1. Sponsions as species of treaties: signed treaties, executive agreements, and interstate and foreign compacts……Page 170
6.2 Constitutionally customizing customary international law for the united states……Page 174
Presidential Capacities……Page 184
Senatorial Capacities……Page 187
Congressional Capacities……Page 189
Federal Courts’ Incapacity……Page 190
Conflicting Positions between the Political Departments……Page 193
State Capacities……Page 194
6.2.2 Federal statutes and executive acts cannot trump customary international legal obligations……Page 200
6.2.3 Emergence and crystallization rules for U.S. federal and extrafederal customary international law……Page 204
6.3. Eroding ERIE: general principles of law recognized by civilized nations……Page 207
6.4. Sticking to STARE DECISIS: subsidiary interpretive sources……Page 210
6.5 The natural law of nations……Page 212
7
The General Liberal Construction Rule:
Extending Lynham to Other Article III and
Extra–Article III International Law……Page 216
Conclusion……Page 221
Epilogue……Page 225
Index……Page 227