Zivotofsky ex rel. Zivotofsky v. Kerry

In: American journal of international law: AJIL, Band 109, Heft 3, S. 636-642

Abstract

In Zivotofsky v. Kerry, decided June 8, 2015, the United States Supreme Court (Court) held unconstitutional a federal statute that permitted U.S. citizens born in Jerusalem to designate "Israel" as their place of birth on their passports, notwithstanding the secretary of state's decision that such passports should designate "Jerusalem" as the place of birth. The opinion resolved a relatively narrow question of law (the constitutionality of an unusual statute), but the justices' reasoning and language are of potentially broad significance and will provide fodder for many doctrinal debates in U.S. foreign relations law.