Christopher v. Harbury, 536 U.S. 403 (2002)

Lead case re: Forward & Backward looking "Denial of Access to the Court" claims...

States that Denial of Access claims, whether forward or backward, must describe a legitimate underlying claim that was lost.

Christopher v. Harbury, 536 U.S. 403 (2002)

A Few of Many Decisions - Constitutional bases for Access to the Courts

Supreme Court decisions finding "Access to the Court" is Constitutionally protected.

• Article IV Privileges and Immunities Clause, Chambers v. Baltimore & Ohio R. Co., 207 U. S. 142, 148 (1907); Blake v. McClung, 172 U. S. 239, 249 (1898); Slaughter-House Cases, 16 Wall. 36, 79 (1873)
• First Amendment Petition Clause, Bill Johnson's Restaurants, Inc. v. NLRB, 461 U. S. 731, 741 (1983); California Motor Transport Co. v. Trucking Unlimited, 404 U. S. 508, 513 (1972)
• The Fifth Amendment Due Process Clause, Murray v. Giarratano, 492 U. S. 1, 11, n. 6 (1989) (plurality opinion); Walters v. National Assn. of Radiation Survivors, 473 U. S. 305, 335 (1985),
• The Fourteenth Amendment Equal Protection, Pennsylvania v. Finley, 481 U. S. 551, 557 (1987), and Due Process Clauses, Wolff v. McDonnell, 418 U. S. 539, 576 (1974); Boddie v. Connecticut, 401 U. S. 371, 380-381 (1971).