Abstract
In this article, I propose that there is a deep connection among at least three seemingly disparate types of constitutional rights claims. Those three rights claims are the right to make the abortion decision for any reason one chooses; the right against compelled ideological speech; and the right of religious institutions to freely hire and fire their ministers (also known as the “ministerial exception”). In particular, there is a thread that unites all of these types of claims. That unifying thread is the concept of deliberative privacy. The connection among these rights claims has not been previously made explicit by courts or commentators. One goal of this article, then, is simply to reveal this underlying connection among constitutional rights. The other goal is to analyze the implications of considering all of these rights claims in relation to one another and as sharing a particular normative underpinning.
This article first describes each of the three constitutional rights claims in more detail and demonstrates that a shared concept of privacy underlies each of them. Then, this article analyzes the nature of the privacy concept in greater depth and considers its implications for constitutional doctrine.
Keywords
Right To Privacy, Fourteenth Amendment, First Amendment, Compelled Speech, Abortion, Ministerial Exception
Publication Date
2019
Document Type
Article
Publication Information
28 William and Mary Bill of Rights Journal 407 (2019)
Repository Citation
Hill, B. Jessie, "The Deliberative Privacy Principle" (2019). Faculty Publications. 2117.
https://scholarlycommons.law.case.edu/faculty_publications/2117
