Constitutional avoidance canon
Defined in 1 dictionary — Case Law
Definitions from Case Law
From 300 U.S. 440 - Wright v. Vinton Branch of Mountain Trust Bank · 1937Most cited · 908 citing opinions
When the validity of an act of the Congress is drawn in question, and even if a serious doubt of constitutionality is raised, it is a cardinal principle that this Court will first ascertain whether a construction of the statute is fairly possible by which the question may be avoided.