Latest news with #constitutionallaw
New York Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- New York Times
The Upside of Suing Trump
There are 1.3 million lawyers in the U.S., and about 115,000 of them work for the nation's largest 100 firms, doing high-profile work for big-name corporations. These firms house big pro bono practices too, and in President Trump's first term they challenged some of his policies on behalf of groups and individuals who could otherwise never afford such heavy legal firepower. Lawyers say such cases scratch a particular itch: They center on constitutional law, the bedrock of the American democratic system, reminding them of why they became lawyers in the first place. Many lawyers say that they wish they could continue with this work, but that their firms' leaders are stopping them. As the number of legal challenges to Trump has surged during his second term, Big Law is shrinking from the battle, cowed by Trump's executive orders and implicit threats against a dozen big firms whose past work, including on some of those pro bono cases, he does not like. Several fought back in court and have prevailed so far, but nine placated the president with rich offers of free work on behalf of his preferred causes. Most of the rest have retreated to the sidelines. Enter the little guys. Today, I'll look at who sues the government when the big guns go quiet — and what's in it for them. Thousands of solo practitioners and small law firms have jumped into the fray, joining with 'good-government' nonprofits to fight what they view as attempts to undermine the rule of law. They know their way around the federal court system and they're busy enough representing individuals, small businesses or municipalities, but they generally don't have to worry about losing big government-contractor clients. Working as an underdog on a big case against the government can help small firms or individual lawyers expand their networks and heighten their profiles. They are standing up when far bigger players stood down — and who doesn't want a lawyer with a reputation as a fighter? Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Malay Mail
4 days ago
- Politics
- Malay Mail
Ex-CJ Tengku Maimun says Federal Court was free of pressure during her tenure, cites dissenting decisions as proof
PUTRAJAYA, July 28 — Tun Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat today dismissed the idea that she had influenced Federal Court decisions during her six-year tenure as the country's top judge. The recently retired judge pointed to her own dissenting judgments in constitutional cases as proof that judges had decided cases independently. 'For the past six years, the Federal Court had decided 19 cases involving various issues of constitutional law,' she told reporters at the Palace of Justice here, after the swearing-in ceremony of Datuk Abu Bakar Jais and Datuk Azizah Nawawi as the president of the Court of Appeal and the chief judge of Sabah and Sarawak respectively. 'And out of that 19 cases, I was dissenting in five cases. So I think statistically, five out of 19 represents about 25 per cent of the dissenting judgments.' Tengku Maimun said this showed judges were free from pressure, including from herself when she was chief justice. 'So I think that fact alone would manifest that judges decided independently without fear or favour, without external or internal pressure. 'Because if I had any influence on their decisions, then surely I would not be dissenting in five out of 19 cases involving especially constitutional law.' Tengku Maimun was asked about a recent speech by Tan Sri Abdul Rahman Sebli who recently retired as chief judge of Sabah and Sarawak and had alleged interference in a Federal Court case involving constitutional issues. 'Let's not make it a contest of words between two people or more than two people. Perhaps I can just share some facts,' she replied, before going on to cite the statistics where she had been the dissenting judge in about 25 per cent of constitutional cases at the Federal Court. Datuk Abdul Rahman Sebli is pictured during his swearing-in ceremony as a new chief judge of Sabah and Sarawak at the Palace of Justice in Putrajaya on January 17, 2023. — Picture by Yusof Mat Isa Just before his retirement on July 25, Abdul Rahman had on July 23 in a farewell event in Kuching, Sarawak alleged that a senior judge had put pressure on him by criticising his draft judgment when he was still relatively junior as a Federal Court judge, but did not name the purported judge. In that speech, Abdul Rahman said he had stood by his draft judgment and it became a majority judgment as it was supported by three other judges, while three judges dissented and disagreed with his decision in that constitutional case. Tengku Maimun retired earlier this month after serving as the first woman chief justice in Malaysia. She said her retirement has been 'good'. 'Alhamdulillah, feeling very free, enjoying quiet moments,' she said. She also congratulated those appointed to new roles in the judiciary today.
Malay Mail
4 days ago
- Politics
- Malay Mail
Ex-CJ Tengku Maimun says Federal Court was free of pressure during her tenure, dissenting decisions as proof
PUTRAJAYA, July 28 — Tun Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat today dismissed the idea that she had influenced Federal Court decisions during her six-year tenure as the country's top judge. The recently retired judge pointed to her own dissenting judgments in constitutional cases as proof that judges had decided cases independently. 'For the past six years, the Federal Court had decided 19 cases involving various issues of constitutional law,' she said at the Palace of Justice here, after the swearing-in ceremony of Datuk Abu Bakar Jais and Datuk Azizah Nawawi as the president of the Court of Appeal and te chief judge of Sabah and Sarawak respectively. 'And out of that 19 cases, I was dissenting in five cases. So I think statistically, five out of 19 represents about 25 per cent of the dissenting judgments.' Tengku Maimun said this showed judges were free from pressure, including from herself when she was chief justice. 'So I think that fact alone would manifest that judges decided independently without fear or favour, without external or internal pressure. 'Because if I had any influence on their decisions, then surely I would not be dissenting in five out of 19 cases involving especially constitutional law.' YAA Datuk Abdul Rahman Sebli is pictured during the swearing-in ceremony as a new Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak at Palace of Justice in Putrajaya January 17, 2023. Picture by Yusof Mat Isa Tengku Maimun was asked about a recent speech by Tan Sri Abdul Rahman Sebli who recently retired as chief judge of Sabah and Sarawak and had alleged interference in a Federal Court case involving constitutional issues. 'Let's not make it a contest of words between two people or more than two people. Perhaps I can just share some facts,' she replied. Tengku Maimun retired earlier this month after serving as the first woman chief justice in Malaysia. She said her retirement has been peaceful. 'Alhamdulillah, feeling very free, enjoying quiet moments,' she said. She also congratulated those appointed to new roles in the judiciary today.
