Is the law itself actually secret? I thought someone linked to Section 702 straight off of the GPO website on one of the other stories.
Likewise the court itself is not secret. The proceedings are, which is worrisome in this particular case. But this would hardly be the only time that has ever happened, how many times have we seen e.g. the EPA sue a company and later the company settles for "an undisclosed amount" with the settlement itself held under a gag order?
> Is the law itself actually secret? I thought someone linked to Section 702 straight off of the GPO website on one of the other stories.
In this context, "secret law" means that the executive branch refuses to share their interpretation of a law passed by Congress. So while it may seem certain what a law says and what its writer meant by it, the executive branch sometimes chooses to creatively interpret the law to do whatever it wants. If the executive branch fails to explain its rationale and interpretation of the law, and the interpretation is much broader than the law's intended purpose, it's effectively a secret law.
Likewise the court itself is not secret. The proceedings are, which is worrisome in this particular case. But this would hardly be the only time that has ever happened, how many times have we seen e.g. the EPA sue a company and later the company settles for "an undisclosed amount" with the settlement itself held under a gag order?