The Sacketts and Magna Charta

February 02, 2012 | By DAMIEN SCHIFF

Sometimes lost in the minutiae and arcana of environmental and administrative law is the fact that, ultimately, we’re arguing about whether someone’s property can be taken from them, or devalued, or made entirely unusable, because of government or administrative fiat.  Kudos to Carla Garrison of The Washington Times for reminding everyone that, notwithstanding the legalese, the case of Sackett v. EPA is ultimately about protecting the rights of people to the sweat of their brow, i.e., vindicating one’s right to due process, a right traceable to Magna Charta and beyond.  If government can’t do that, then there’s something wrong with government.