I, AB, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God.’”
整个誓词没有一处提到政府雇员必须服从上级,相反,他们效忠的是宪法,“support and defend the Constitution”。如果接到的命令是非法的,那么违抗这样的命令反而成了司法部长的职责所在了。宪法和良心,是任何一个有操守的官员乃至公民的唯一行为准则。司法独立,不仅仅存在于行政和司法权的相互制约,也依赖于行政权内部司法部门的仗义直行。如果说这位Sally Yates是基于自己的良知和对宪法的信念而作出了抗命的决定,那么她就是值得敬佩的。
这里不能不提一个思维误区,很多人说,美国宪法保护的是美国公民的权利!实际上,美国宪法保护在美国境内每一个人的基本/自然人权,不可剥夺的人权(un-alienable rights),这就是独立宣言强调的,life, liberty and pursuit of happiness。中东穆斯林依法获得签证,但是由于政府的作为,入境被拒,在美国的机场遭到羁押,他们的人身自由遭到了侵害,法院有权介入,主持公道。同时由于总统对移民事务的独特权威,这样的干涉也具有极大的争议性。
在这个案子里,很多人把权限和合法性混淆了。他们问,既然行政部门有处理移民事务极大自主性,那么法官有什么权力干扰总统的政令?同理,行政内阁听命于总统,那么总统是否有“任意”解雇阁员的自由呢?我们不妨看一看已故的共和党参议员,前参院司法委员会主席Allen Specter对此说过的一段著名的话: 总统可以以任何理由解雇部长,甚至不需要理由,但是不能以非法的理由(the president can fire his subordinate for any reason, or no reason at all. But he can not do it for a BAD reason)。正是由于这个广泛的权限,洛杉矶海关有权依据具体情况把韩国美少女偶像组合遣返回国,川普总统有权把不听话的代理女部长轰出司法部。但是,如果他们的理由是“我不喜欢亚洲人”“我不喜欢女人”,这就是Specter参议员所说的“bad reason”,是禁不起法庭的挑战的。判断川普禁令是否合法,他的真实意图至关重要。
最后,宪法正文第六款“no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States”,连干系重大的联邦政府官员的任免都不得以宗教信仰为标准,那么用宗教为标准筛选移民,就更是和美国宪法的精神背道而驰了。
(1) US district judges usually do not work in panels (except on rare occasions), so it is procedurally OK for a district judge to issue an order by himself.
(2) There are several differences between the 2015 Travel Prevention Act and Trump's Travel Ban. If my memory serves me right, (1) the 2015 Act was in reaction to a failed terror attack in the US territory involving two Iraqi refugees; but no such triggering event existed before Trump's Travel Ban; (2) the 2015 Travel Prevention Act targeted on people who had been to those countries where ISIS were the most active, regardless of their country of origin or religion; whereas Trump's Travel Ban prohibited everyone who are citizens of those countries, and by Trump's comments gives certain religion priority to re-enter after the ban expires (the court may, or may not, take into consideration of the "comment" in interpreting the intention of the ban); (3) the 2015 Act was travel restriction but not a complete ban like the Trump Ban. All these differences are significant when it comes to determining whether a piece of law is constitutional.
I hope the above clarifies the confusion. It is possible that the Supreme Court may declare Trump's ban constitutional, but it indeed is a very close case, and the hasty manner it was implemented justifiably raised alarm.
lanlandehu 发表评论于
看了美国law professor解释的美国司法系统。美国的court 有三级:
Local court 由一个judge 决定case.
District court 有三judge, 由3比2来决定case.
Supreme court 有9个judge, 由5比4 决定case.
Judge James Robart 只是District court 的法官。Judge Robart 没有通过另外两个judge 以
District court名义来发 block "Trump's temporarily Travel Ban". 而是以他个人的名义来Block川普的行政命令。他的行为本身就是违反美国法律程序的。
“知道为什么川普选这7个国家来暂停入境吗?
This was actually started in 2015 under the last administration. He's just continuing it. It was originally called “The Terrorist Travel Prevention Act of 2015”and included those same 7 countries. These 7 Countries were identified by the Obama White House, House and Senate as sponsoring terrorism and threatening U.S. interests. In December 2015, President Obama signed into law a measure placing limited restrictions on certain travelers who had visited Iran, Iraq, Sudan, or Syria on or after March 1, 2011. Two months later, the Obama administration added Libya, Somalia, and Yemen to the list, in what it called an effort to address "the growing threat from foreign terrorist fighters." 虽然奥巴马没有全面禁止,但是是他把这7个国家单列出来区别对待。因为他已经 signed into law, 川普就不需要国会批准就可以总统令来加大restrictions. 我个人而言,不觉得伊朗是个严重的恐怖分子输出国,奥巴马加上伊朗有意识形态原因。其他国家的穆斯林,包括欧洲,加拿大的穆斯林,还是可以自由出入美国。我觉得相对而言他们比伊朗更危险。”
对于Trump's immigration ban的谨慎态度,和左右派无关。One of the federal judges who stayed the ban is a very outspoken republican. 围绕Trump这一次的政策所产生的争论,并不是停留于理念层面的争执,而是切身关系到美国的国家利益。 这一次的政策与以前大不相同的是,它没有任何的 triggering event, 不是说这几个国家最近在美国实行恐怖活动被抓到,或是事实证明这七个国家是ISIS的参与者。就是这样凭空地突然地宣布这七个国家的人不能入境。The very hasty manner this policy came out of course raises suspicion that it is arbitrary, religion-related and discriminatory. (当然反面的Argument 也同样存在)三权分立是美国政体得以稳定两百多年的基础。在任何一届总统的任下,总统是否超越宪法所赋予的权限,都是最敏感的问题,也是最直接关系到美国的社会稳定的问题。所以这一次的政策才会招致民主党和共和党两边的批评和警惕。
"这里不能不提一个思维误区,很多人说,美国宪法保护的是美国公民的权利!实际上,美国宪法保护在美国境内每一个人的基本/自然人权,不可剥夺的人权(un-alienable rights),这就是独立宣言强调的,life, liberty and pursuit of happiness。"
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宪法有很多模棱两可的地方,所以才要有九人的最高法院来解释宪法. 说美国宪法保护每个境内的人的基本/自然人权,不代表公民和非公民享受同等的权利.某些人被禁止入境,不论暂时的或永久的,因为还没有在美国境内,更和楼主所说的"权利"无关.