Due Process—What Is Going Wrong?

Due Process—What Is Going Wrong?
A New York State Supreme Court Justice traces the constitutional concept of due process to the English concept of “the law of the land.” (Close 66). Due process as defined by Merriam-Webster, is a judicial requirement stating that enacted laws may not contain provisions that result in the unfair, arbitrary, or unreasonable treatment of an individual (Dictionary 1). A more simple explanation is that due process refers to the rights of any citizen to certain procedural actions prior to the denial of their civil liberties. Due process actions trace back all the way to when kings and queens ruled the people in our nation’s history. Although, then due process may have simply been constituted by shouting of, “Off with his head!” (Close 66). While the term may easily be defined and summarized in a book, the actual concept of due process has changed quite dramatically as generations have progressed. Even with the provision of due process in t...