Opinion ID: 175346
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 9

Heading: Explicit Repeals

Text: An explicit repeal occurs when the later statute explicitly identifies the earlier statute it is repealing. 1A Sutherland Statutes and Statutory Construction § 23:7 (7th ed.2010). Congress can accomplish this identification by citing the earlier statute or referring to its subject matter, id., or even by giving the style and case number of a lawsuit that is filed under the earlier statute, Robertson v. Seattle Audubon Soc., 503 U.S. 429, 440, 112 S.Ct. 1407, 1414, 118 L.Ed.2d 73 (1992). [13] Congress walks a fine line in terms of what it may do here and still uphold the separation of powers. Congress may not interfere in the judicial process. It may not dictate the result for a particular case, or tell an Article III court how to apply the law to specific facts. See Nichols v. Hopper, 173 F.3d 820, 823 (11th Cir.1999); Henderson v. Scientific-Atlanta, Inc., 971 F.2d 1567, 1573 (11th Cir.1992). But Congress is always free to amend the law, even if doing so has the effect of extinguishing a pending case. See Seattle Audubon Society, 503 U.S. at 440, 112 S.Ct. at 1414; Scientific-Atlanta, 971 F.2d at 1573. And among the areas in which Congress legislates is the jurisdiction of the federal courts. Congress often exercises its power both to confer jurisdiction, and to deny it. See Landgraf v. USI Film Prods., 511 U.S. 244, 274, 114 S.Ct. 1483, 1501, 128 L.Ed.2d 229 (1994). [T]here is an important difference between Congress telling this court how it should decide a particular case (expressly prohibited by United States v. Klein, 80 U.S. (13 Wall.) 128, 147, 20 L.Ed. 519 (1871)) and Congress withdrawing jurisdiction to decide a particular case.... Nat'l Coal. to Save Our Mall v. Norton, 161 F.Supp.2d 14, 22 (D.D.C.2001).