Foreign Law Ban Bill Advances

Legislation to ban the use of foreign law in Oklahoma courts is moving forward in the Legislature. 

House Bill 1552, by Rep. Sally Kern, declares that any court action will be “void and unenforceable” if the court ruling is based “on any law, rule, legal code or system that would not grant the parties affected by the ruling or decision the same fundamental liberties, rights, and privileges granted under the United States and Oklahoma Constitutions.”

The bill passed the House Judiciary Committee 10-3 and will next be heard on the floor of the House.

“This bill simply ensures that American law will be used in Oklahoma courts,” said Kern, R-Oklahoma City. “This legislation is similar to the voter-approved State Question 755 and is written to address some of the legal issues that have been used to challenge that measure.”

State Question 755, which prohibited the use of foreign law and expressly prohibited reliance on Sharia law in Oklahoma courts, passed with 70 percent of the vote last November.

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