美国联邦最高法院裁决中的自然法解释

Brief Introduction to the Interpretations of Natural Law in the Supreme Court's Decisions

虽然美国国内对于大法官在最高法院的司法审查中用自然法和自然权利学说来释宪是否恰当长期存在着争议,但是在美国最高法院的宪法解释和裁决中,自然法作为一种解释方法和论据从未消失过。立国初期,在塑造联邦国家与维护财产权方面,最高法院大量使用了自然法解释;随着19世纪末20世纪初期实体性正当程序的兴起,最高法院利用自然法捍卫自由放任主义和契约自由;20世纪后半叶,随着权利革命的来临及人们对捍卫个人自主性的诉求日益增强,最高法院大法官在涉及个人生活方式的案件中不得不再次使用自然法解释。

The U.S. Supreme Court has never ceased to controversially invoke nature law and natural right as persuasive authority in the interpretation of American Constitution.Since natural law is regarded as a higher law and as a basis for American Constitution,it has been adopted as one of the interpretation methods in the Supreme Court's decisions.In the early days after the founding of the republic,natural law was used to create federalism and safeguard the property right by the Supreme Court;with the rise of the substantive due process at the end of the 19th century and at the beginning of the 20th century,it was used to preserve laissez-faire and the liberty of contract;with the emergence of Rights Revolution and preservation of personal autonomy since the second half of the 20th century,it has been also used by justices in some cases concerning personal life styles.