Yesterday was Constitution Day. On September 17, 1787, the Constitution was signed.
The right to seek a writ of habeas corpus is one of the few affirmative grants of individual rights that appear in the Constitution. I will pull out my pocket guide to the Constitution and quote Article I, Section 9:
The privilege of the Writ of Habeas Corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in Cases of Rebellion or Invasion the public Safety may require it.
I never really understood the capitalization pattern in that clause.
Anyways, it seems a little less than coincidental that the anniversary of the signing of the Constitution falls in the same week that the Magna Carta exhibits opened. Someone was thinking ahead.
Just as I mentioned in the Magna Carta post, this blog does kind of owe its existence to the Constitution, too. I guess I should also give a shout out next week on the anniversary of the passing of the Judiciary Act of 1789 (September 24, 1789), as well as on the anniversary of the date when the Bill of Rights was passed (December 15, 1791) and the 14th Amendment (July 28, 1868).
Now I believe I have covered everything. Or should I also include the original date that 28 USC 2254 (June 25, 1948) came into existence? And April 24, 1996, the date when the AEDPA became effective?
Okay, that's enough. I'll stop there.
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