Pre-emptive Pardon

[Seamus Fermanagh]

If someone is pardoned can a law retroactively be applied to them and they be retried for the same crime despite the pardon?

Not in the USA. The languaging of a Presidential pardon is usually constructed so as to prevent this.

Is is possible to have a pardon be pre-emptively applied to stop a retroactive law being applied to the action?

Yes, see above. Presidential pardons have also been proffered under blanket languaging like "...which may have been committed in connection with..."

Are retroactive laws just?

Seldom to never. Expecting someone to have obeyed the law when it was not yet the law places an undue burden. That's "gotcha" legislation, in which case why bother with the legalism.

Are members of boy bands really entitled to call themselves musicians?

It is my belief that you are entitled to call yourself whatever you wish. Whether I choose to accord you the same deference is another matter entirely.

That said, N'Sync Rules!!!!!



Excuse me, the neuron responsible for that egregious statement has been dealt with. It had been lurking behind the long-dead "Bee Gees are awesome" neuron and had remained undetected. No further such outbursts are expected.

[Zaknafien]

Hm, maybe our Great Leader will pre-emptively pardon Cheney.. it was awesome the other day when they told him, "Uh, no, you don't have executive privilege, dude" lol