Upcoming Judiciary History Center Program: "Constitutional Law and States of Emergency: Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic" - Wed., June 17, 2020, 5:30pm HST

Next Wednesday, June 17, 2020, at 5:30pm Hawaii Time, we'll be speaking for the King Kamehameha V Judiciary History Center about "Constitutional Law and States of Emergency: Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic."

This is a one-hour program, open to the public, where we will take a dive into Hawaii's emergency preparedness and response laws, how Hawaii's courts have treated emergencies, plagues, pandemics, and quarantines in the past (we have a long history there), and respond to (moderated) audience questions.

Space limited to 100 attendees, although it will be recorded and posted on the Center's YouTube channel. Here's the program description:

The King Kamehameha V Judiciary History Center invites you to join our live webinar with attorney Robert H. Thomas as he shares his expertise about constitutional rights and civil liberties during the COVID-19 pandemic. He will share lessons from Hawaiʻi’s history of public health laws during epidemics, as well as explain how courts in other jurisdictions are currently evaluating legal claims related to the Fifth Amendment.

The webinar will conclude with a live Q&A. Space is limited to 100 webinar attendees.

Register to learn about Robert's responses to popular questions that arose during quarantine, including:

• Can government officials require me to wear a mask?
• Can the police keep me from going to the beach?
• Can Hawaiʻi treat residents and tourists differently?

To join the live webinar, please register using the sign-up button below. Or, visit our Youtube channel to view the program's live stream feed on June 17, 2020 at 5:30 pm. The webinar will be recorded and posted to our Youtube and Facebook pages.

Register here.

Hope you can join us.

PS - once the ongoing situation is over, when you have a chance, you really should pay an in-person visit to the Center's facility, which is on the first floor of Aliiolani Hale, directly underneath the Supreme Court's courtroom. There's a historic trial courtroom, and displays on Hawaii's legal history.