THE SUPREME COURT: The Right to Passports

THE SUPREME COURT The Rights to Passports

In a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court ruled last week that the Secretary of State has no authority to deny passports to U.S. citizens on the ground of "beliefs" or "associations." The court thus overturned the findings of lower courts that Secretary Dulles was justified in denying passports to New York Artist Rockwell Kent and Los Angeles Psychiatrist Walter Briehl in 1955, when they refused to sign non-Communist affidavits. Net of the majority opinion, written by Justice William O. Douglas, with Chief Justice Earl Warren, Justices...

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