9/13/10 Constitution Talk

Image of eagle and US flagOn Monday, September 13th, at 5pm, in the C|M|Law Moot Court Room, Brian Ray, Assistant Professor of Law, will present Comparing Constitutions.  Professor Ray, an expert on comparative constitutional law, will examine the debate over the use of foreign and international law in constitutional interpretation with a particular focus on the South African experience.  This program has been approved for one free hour of CLE.

Using international and foreign legal sources in constitutional interpretation is a controversial practice in the United States, even provoking Congressional hearings and attempts to legislatively limit federal courts’ ability to refer to such materials.  Yet in many other constitutional systems of the world the practice is becoming increasingly commonplace.  Indeed, the post-apartheid South African constitution goes so far as to make reference to relevant international law mandatory and to expressly permit reference to foreign law.

Professor Ray’s talk is one of several events planned to commemorate Constitution Day on the CSU campus the week of September 13th.  C|M|Law visitors may also be interested in viewing The U.S. Constitution in the Enlightenment Era display near the entrance of the Law Library.