Compelling-State-Interest-Test Law and Legal Definition
Compelling-state-interest-test refers to a method of determining the constitutional validity of a law. Under this test, the government’s interest is balanced against the individual’s constitutional right to be free of law. However, a law will be upheld only if the government’s interest is strong enough.
In Howe v. Brown, 319 F. Supp. 862 (N.D. Ohio 1970), it was held that, the compelling-state-interest-test is mostly applied in all voting rights cases and equal protection cases. It is also applied when a disputed law requires strict scrutiny.
