Fergie's Tech Blog

U.S. Supreme Court Asked To Rule on Secret Law

Ryan Singel writes on 27B Stroke 6:

Millionaire civil liberties activist John Gilmore, with support from civil liberites and press freedom groups, is asking the Supreme Court to overturn a court ruling that allows the government to keep secret the rule that requires airlines to make passengers show identification, calling the hidden rule a secret law inimical to democracy.

Gilmore filed suit in 2002 without support of outside civil liberties groups, which widely thought the challenge was premature. His more narrow petition to the Supreme Court, however, has backing from a wide range of groups including the Electronic Frontier Foundation (which Gilmore co-founded), the Electronic Privacy Information Center, and Reporters Committee for the Freedom of the Press and the American Society of Newspaper Editors.

The media organizations argue that hidden law puts the "at the mercy of secret administrative pronouncements" and is "repugnant to the Constitution."

posted by Fergie @ 11/14/2006 10:40:00 AM