State Supreme Court, Scholars Discuss PA's First Constitution

Hosted by the Thomas R. Kline Center for Judicial Education at Duquesne's Thomas R. Kline School of Law in partnership with the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, A Celebration of the 250th Anniversary of Pennsylvania's First Constitution drew more than 350 attendees for a day of presentations and discussions exploring the Commonwealth’s constitutional legacy.

In her opening remarks, Pennsylvania Supreme Court Chief Justice Debra Todd said that observing the 250th anniversaries this year of both Pennsylvania’s first Constitution and the Declaration of Independence provided the opportunity to celebrate democracy and to recognize the critical importance of the three separate and equal branches of government. 

“Our judicial branch serves as our nation’s guarantor of equal justice for all…Each day, our courts demonstrate that the rule of law depends not only on the laws themselves, but on the institutions that apply them fairly, impartially and independently,” Todd said.

The program featured a keynote address by Judge Jeffrey S. Sutton of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, along with panel discussions examining the evolution of Pennsylvania’s Constitution; criminal procedure; religious liberty, speech and privacy; environmental and equal rights, and the constitutional foundations of free and fair elections.

Duquesne University Chancellor Ken Gormley, a law professor at the University and a renowned constitutional scholar, presented on the Pennsylvania Constitution’s Declaration of Rights, describing it as the document’s cornerstone. He noted that it contained 16 expansive provisions and served as a model for many state constitutions that followed. Gormley also highlighted several of the groundbreaking protections established in the document.

“While portions of the 1776 Pennsylvania Constitution were copied from the Virginia state constitution, it contained several provisions that were completely new and historic in scope…(including) the right to petition for redress of grievances, the individual’s right to bear arms (and) freedom of religion—in a more expansive form than had ever existed.”

April Barton, dean of the Duquesne Kline Law School, which houses the Kline Center, also addressed the significant of the state’s first Constitution.

“Two-hundred and fifty years ago, in 1776, Pennsylvanians set down in writing a bold vision of self-government, one that placed the rights of the people at its very foundation. That charter has been revised and renewed over generations, but its spirit endures,” she said. “It is fitting that we gather to reflect on its meaning and continuing impact. There is no group better suited to that conversation than the jurists who interpret it and the scholars who study it.”

The event reflected the Kline Center’s ongoing partnership with the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania and its mission to advance judicial education and enhance the administration of justice throughout the Commonwealth.

Duquesne University

Founded in 1878, Duquesne is consistently ranked among the nation's top Catholic universities for its award-winning faculty and horizon-expanding education. A campus of more than 8,200 graduate and undergraduate students, Duquesne prepares students by having them work alongside faculty to discover and reach their goals. The University's academic programs, community service and commitment to equity and opportunity in the Pittsburgh region have earned national acclaim.

It's time for bigger goals. Follow Duquesne University on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and LinkedIn.
www.duq.edu