This year marks the 75th anniversary of the implementation of the modern New Jersey Constitution. To commemorate this seminal event in state history, the New Jersey State Bar Association has partnered with NJ Spotlight News for a special celebration of the Constitution’s history, evolution and relevance in modern times.
Featuring a collection of writings, including articles from New Jersey Lawyer – the NJSBA’s periodical – the state’s preeminent attorneys tackle the enduring wisdom of the state Constitution and how it applies to today’s hot-button issues like marijuana access, abortion and gun control.
New Jersey has a proud constitutional history, dating back to 1776 when the state adopted its first Constitution, New Jersey Supreme Court Chief Justice Stuart J. Rabner said. While the U.S. Constitution provides the basic set of rights to citizens, state constitutions like New Jersey’s offer greater protections based on their own history and traditions, he said.
“(The Constitution) restructured the judicial branch for the better,” Justice Rabner said. “It replaced a backwards system, with more than a dozen overlapping courts, and interminable delays in deciding cases, and instead created a unified structure with the ability to decide cases with authority, to oversee the administrative aspects of the court system, and be able to adapt to crises like the recent pandemic.”
The articles curated by the NJSBA and NJ Spotlight News cover the following topics:
Abortion: How New Jersey protects access to abortion in the aftermath of the Dobbs decision – by Linda J. Wharton. Excerpted from New Jersey Lawyer Magazine.
Marijuana: How safe are NJ residents from federal enforcement? – by Anthony M. Fassano and John C. Connell. Excerpted from New Jersey Lawyer Magazine.
Guns: Constitutional amendment on firearm safety: An idea whose time has come? – by Steven M. Richman. Excerpted from New Jersey Lawyer Magazine.
Housing: Affordable housing and the Mount Laurel Doctrine: Enforcement has returned to the courts – by the Hon. Peter A. Buchsbaum. Excerpted from New Jersey Lawyer Magazine.
Education: A constitutional right of both equity and diversity – by David Sciarra. Excerpted from Sciarra’s 2023 paper, “Equity and Diversity: Defining the Right to Education for the 21st Century.”
Visit njspotlightnews.org for the full feature.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 24, 2023
Contact: Thomas Nobile
Director of Communications
Tel: 732-937-7527
[email protected]