The ACLU was at the Georgia Supreme Court today to defend Georgians’ right to challenge the constitutionality of state statutes and actions taken by state officials. In today’s hearing the justices were asked to consider whether the principle of sovereign immunity bars Georgians from challenging state laws that violate fundamental freedoms guaranteed in Georgia’s Bill of Rights.
Executive Director of the ACLU of Georgia, Andrea Young, gave the following statement:
“A core principle of American democracy is the functioning of checks and balances for each branch of government. This universally accepted and cherished principle is undermined by declaring the state immune to any constitutional challenge brought by its citizens in the courts. Such a rule would leave Georgians unable to hold the state accountable for any unconstitutional laws, leaving their personal freedoms and liberties vulnerable and unprotected.”