The Constitution is not a suicide pact The Constitution is not a suicide pact "The Constitution is not a suicide pact" is a phrase in American political and legal discourse. The phrase expresses the belief that constitutional restrictions on governmental power must be balanced against the need for survival of the state and its people. It is most often attributed to Abraham Lincoln, as a response to charges that he was violating the United States Constitution by suspending "habeas corpus" during the American Civil War. Although the phrase echoes statements made by Lincoln, and although versions of the sentiment have been advanced at various times in American
The Human Rights Violation Investigation Commission of Nigeria by two former military leaders against the commission over its power to make them testify. Nigeria's Supreme Court ruled that the power to hold public hearings lies with the state governments of Nigeria and not the federal government, according to the Constitution of 1999. After this case, it was not until 2005 that two activist groups, the Nigerian Democratic Movement and Nigeria-based Civil Society Forum, finally published the commission’s report online. The report was already in the public realm, but the government limited its availability and accessibility. Subsequently, state governments in Nigeria began to establish their own truth and reconciliation