Opinion ID: 1701879
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Sufficiency of Standards of Delegation.

Text: This Court straight-forwardly requires sufficient standards so as to obviate any delegation of legislative power. A powerful example is People v Fields, 388 Mich 66; 199 NW2d 217 (1972), where the provision for waiver by the probate courts of 16-year-olds to the circuit courts for acts the nature of which constitutes felonies was held invalid for lack of sufficient standards. This rule is followed in the cases dealing with compulsory arbitration. In Pleasant Ridge v Governor, 382 Mich 225; 169 NW2d 625 (1969), this Court found that Act 12, standing by itself, admittedly contains no standards within our constitutional rule. 382 Mich 225, 243. However, we found that Act 12 referred to and incorporated a Federal statute, which sets forth a great plethora of specific standards to which all local functionaries    must conform   . 382 Mich 225, 243. In Local 170, TWU v Genesee Circuit Judge, 322 Mich 332; 34 NW2d 71 (1948), this Court, although finding the statute unconstitutional because it was contrary to the requirement of separation of powers, observed: Another fatal defect in the act in question is the failure of the legislature to designate the standards for the exercise of power which it has delegated to the arbitration board. As to the necessity of sufficient standards, the general law in Michigan that there must be such standards is quite clear and such compulsory arbitration cases as exist indicate this requirement applies equally in those cases.