Civil Liberty: US Supreme Court

CIVIL LIBERTY: US SUPREME COURT

Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................3
Role of Supreme Court in upholding civil liberties...................................................................3
Case law: District of Columbia v. Heller...................................................................................4
Conclusion..................................................................................................................................5
References..................................................................................................................................6

Introduction
The fundamental political value which is followed by the American Society is
shielding civil liberties and civil rights (Mason and Stephenson, 2017). Civil liberties can be
referred as personal freedom which cannot be abridged by government by any procedure
which comprises legal or judicial interpretation. Present study emphasizes on discussion
relating to civil liberties. Further in order to assess the role of U.S. Supreme Court in
upholding them case law of District of Columbia v. Heller, 554 U.S. 570 (2008) has been
assessed in detail as the same is believed as landmark case law relating to specifying the role
of US Supreme Court regarding significance of civil rights.
Role of Supreme Court in upholding civil liberties
It is believed that the decisions of Supreme Court might extend the list of main
liberties which enforce central government to take appropriate action in order to assure the
action of state (MacDonald, 2015). In some cases, Supreme Court has made decision in order
to enhance the available security relating to civil rights and civil liberties through
understanding of sections in Constitution which were not formerly intended for that reason.
After the Civil War and till the New Deal era, court became anxious about economic right in
comparison to civil rights and civil liberties. Pik, (2016) specifies that the main objective
behind same was to make public aware regarding civil liberties so that they can enjoy the
same and can live their lives with an ease. The same practices are continued by Supreme
Court even today as in case of Gamble v. United States which is relating to ‘dual sovereignty’
where state as well as federal government can prosecute an individual for same crime.
Further in case they are not able to conclude same individually, they violate Fifth
Amendment to constitution. It was concluded in the case that clause of Double Jeopardy
should be applied in order to protect every individual irrespective of the fact that who is
doing jeopardizing.