Constitutional law. A statutory classification based on race, national origin, or alienage, and thereby subject to strict scrutiny under equal-protection analysis. • Examples of laws creating suspect classifications are those permitting only U.S. citizens to receive welfare benefits and setting quotas for the government’s hiring of minority contractors. See STRICT SCRUTINY. Cf. FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT. [Cases: […]
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A statutory classification based on gender or legitimacy, and therefore subject to intermediate scrutiny under equal-protection analysis. • Examples of laws creating a quasi-suspect classification are those permitting alimony for women only and providing for an all-male draft. See INTERMEDIATE SCRUTINY. [Cases: Constitutional Law 213.1(1), 224(1). C.J.S. Constitutional Law §§ 714–715, 718, 733–734, 941–944.]
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suspect classification 〈美〉可疑分类 如果分类建立在一种自身似乎与既定宪法原则相背的特征之上，如种族、性别等，以致有意使用这种分类都可被视为是值得「怀疑」的，那么法院在确定这种分类的合法性时将依平等保护条款〔Equal Protection Clause〕适用「严格审查」〔strict scrutiny〕标准。
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suspect classification. Constitutional law. A statutory classification based on race, national origin, or alienage, and thereby subject to strict scrutiny under equal-protection analysis. • Examples of laws creating suspect classifications are those permitting only U.S. citizens to receive welfare benefits and setting quotas for the government’s hiring of minority contractors. See STRICT SCRUTINY. Cf. FUNDAMENTAL
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rational-basis test. Constitutional law. The criterion for judicial analysis of a statute that does not implicate a fundamental right or a suspect or quasi-suspect classification under the Due Process or Equal Protection Clause, whereby the court will uphold a law if it bears a reasonable relationship to the attainment of a legitimate governmental objective. •
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equal protection. The 14th Amendment guarantee that the government must treat a person or class of persons the same as it treats other persons or classes in like circumstances. • In today’s constitutional jurisprudence, equal protection means that legislation that discriminates must have a rational basis for doing so. And if the legislation affects a
The 14th Amendment guarantee that the government must treat a person or class of persons the same as it treats other persons or classes in like circumstances. • In today’s constitutional jurisprudence, equal protection means that legislation that discriminates must have a rational basis for doing so. And if the legislation affects a fundamental right
intermediate scrutiny. Constitutional law. A standard lying between the extremes of rational-basis review and strict scrutiny. • Under the standard, if a statute contains a quasi-suspect classification (such as gender or legitimacy), the classification must be substantially related to the achievement of an important governmental objective. — Also termed middle-level scrutiny; mid-level scrutiny; heightened scrutiny.
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strict scrutiny test 〈美〉严格审查(标准) 指法院在审查可疑分类〔suspect classifications〕如种族等是否违反平等法律保护条款〔Equal Protection Clause〕，以及在正当法律程序分析中对政府行为是否侵犯诸如投票权等公民基本权利时，用以评价政府行为合宪性的标准。「strict scrutiny」一词由美国最高法院大法官威廉·O.道格拉斯〔William O.Douglas〕于1942年在一起案件中首次使用。尽管先前对该标准多有歧见，但近年来美国最高法院对其表达渐趋一致。该标准要求被诉政府行为必须为实现「紧迫性」〔compelling〕政府利益所必需〔necessary〕，因而它是美国法院已阐明的三层次审查标准中最严厉的一项审查标准。一般性(最低)审查〔ordinary (minimum) scrutiny〕适用于政府对人们及其活动的大多数分类基础，例如，财产(或无财产)等经济和社会因素。该标准仅要求政府能证明此项分类计划与「合法」〔legitimate〕政府利益之间有「合理」〔reasonable〕关联。中度审查〔intermediate level scrutiny〕适用于以性别和无合法身份〔illegitimacy〕为基础的分类，它要求政府行为必须与「重要」〔important〕政府利益之间有实质性〔substantial〕关联。与法院假定立法或被诉政府行为合宪、原告负有证明其违宪责任的一般性审查相比，严格审查假定立法或被诉政府行为是违宪的，政府负有证明其具有紧迫性利益的责任。法院在确定被诉立法或政府行为的有效性时，必须集中在政府目的之上，而不仅仅是政府行为后果上。
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