L'exemple de la doctrine du Public trust aux Etats-Unis (The Public Trust Doctrine in the United States)

French Abstract: La doctrine du public trust (« PTD » en anglais) revet des dimensions historiques, de common law et constitutionnelles. Il decoule de l’ancienne notion selon laquelle le souverain detient certaines ressources naturelles et certains objets de la nature dans l’interet des generations actuelles et futures. Le principe de la propriete publique sous-tendant la doctrine du public trust peut etre degage du droit romain en passant par la Magna Carta pour parvenir au constitutionnalisme et a la jurisprudence actuelle. Les Romains ont codifie le droit de la propriete publique sur d'importantes ressources naturelles, comme l'explique Cesar Flavius Justinien en 533 apres JC, dans son ouvrage intitule Les Institutes de Justinien. Selon la loi naturelle, ce qui appartient a l’humanite en commun ce sont l’air, l’eau courante, la mer et les rivages. Ces principes ont ensuite ete integres a la Magna Charta en 1215. La doctrine connait finalement des retombees dans le droit ecrit et dans le droit coutumier. La common law anglaise a incorpore la tradition du public trust : Blackstone notait dans ses Commentaires : « Peu de choses doivent, malgre la consecration generale et le maintien de la propriete, rester en commun. . . Tels sont, parmi d’autres, les elements de la lumiere, de l'air et de l'eau. . . » English Abstract: The public-trust doctrine has historical, common law, and constitutional dimensions. It derives from the ancient notion that the sovereign holds certain natural resources and objects of nature in trust for the benefit of current and future generations. The principle of public ownership underlying the public trust doctrine can be traced from Roman Law through the Magna Carta to present-day constitutionalism and jurisprudence. The Romans codified the right of public ownership of important natural resources. Its principles were then incorporated into the Magna Chart in 1215. There are consequences to applying the doctrine. The idea that government holds resources in trust as fiduciary for present and future generations is controversial. The idea of public trust posits that some resources are subject to a perpetual trust that forecloses private exclusion rights, a jarring exception of uncertain dimensions. For environmentalists and preservationists who view private ownership as a source of the degradation of natural and historical resources, the public trust doctrine holds out the hope of salvation through what amounts to a judicially enforced inalienability rule that locks resources into public ownership. For those who view private property as the bulwark of the free enterprise system and constitutional liberty, the doctrine looms as a vague threat. The idea that public trust principles are enforceable is of profound import to other systems that have constitutionalized the public trust obligations. Constitutionalizing the doctrine ups the stakes.