N.D. Const. art. I, § 18 — Research

Bills of attainder, ex post facto, and impairment of contracts. Text of the section: current and prior versions.

Every citing reference in the corpus: 33 court opinions and 15 Attorney General opinions. Counts include the section's pre-1981 designation (§ 16), era-gated by the renumbering crosswalk.

Generated from the citation graph of the validated corpus. Treatment groupings (construing / citing / recital) are heuristic reading aids, not editorial judgments — read the opinion before relying on any signal.

Cases by topic

Topics are machine-generated groupings of the citing references — reading aids, not editorial judgments. Documents cited after the last classification pass appear in the lists below until the next pass.

Retroactive legislation and vested contract rights

The Ramsey Financial Corp. v. Haugland, et al., 2006 ND 167 (2006, Kapsner, J.) · quotes the provision
- ¶ 23: “…The Hauglands argue that the retroactive application of N.D.C.C. ch. 10-19.1 to their preferred shares of stock, which they obtained before the revised Business Corporation Act was enacted in 1985, violates N.D. Const. art. I, § 18, which provides: "No bill of attainder, ex post facto law, or law impairing the obligations of contracts shall ever be passed." Although the Hauglands cited to the constitutional provision, they have given us no support…”
N.D. Att'y Gen.: N.D. Op. Att'y Gen. 2005-L-45 (2005)
Saari v. ND Workers Compensation Bureau, et al., 1999 ND 144 (1999, Kapsner, J.) · quotes the provision
- ¶ 19: “…Saari also argues his right to PPI benefits is contractual in nature, and the Legislature is forbidden from impairing an obligation of contract. *See*N.D. Const. Art. I, § 18 ("[n]o ..'. law impairing the obligations of contracts shall ever be passed"). In *Effertz v. North Dakota Workers' Compensation Bureau,*481 N.W.2d 223, 224-25 (N.D. 1992), this Court held all rights and obligations und…”
N.D. Att'y Gen.: N.D. Op. Att'y Gen. 97-F-09 (1997)
State v. Goetz, 1981 ND 151 (1981, VandeWalle, J.)
Christman v. Emineth, 1973 ND 59 (1973, Erickstad, J.)
N.D. Att'y Gen.: N.D. Op. Att'y Gen. 69-320 (1969)
Asbury Hospital v. Cass County, 1944 ND 37 (1944, Burke, J.)
Workmen's Compensation Bureau, Unemployment Compensation Division, v. Farmers State Bank of Lisbon, 1943 ND 38 (1943, Burr, J.)
State ex rel. Atkins v. Lawler, 1925 ND 119 (1925, Christianson, J.) · quotes the provision
- “…5, which provides for a reduction in "rate of interest upon redemption of real estate sold to the county for the taxes of 1923 or any prior year and still held by the county, provided such redemption is made on or before November 1, 1925," does not contravene sections 16, 20, 69, and 70 of the Constitution of North Dakota. Additional Syllabus by Editorial Staff. "Special law" is one which relates only to particular persons or things of class, as distinguished from a "general law" whi…”
State ex rel. Arnot v. Flaherty, 1920 ND 83 (1920, Birdzell, J.) · quotes the provision
- “…invalid because it is retroactive. Such law is invalid only if it violates the constitutional guaranties that no bill of attainder, ex post facto law, or law impairing the obligations of contract, shall ever be passed. U. S. Const. art. 1, § 10; N. D. Const. § 16. Unless violative of some right guaranteed by the state or federal Constitution, tax laws may be given a retroactive effect. 25 R. C. L. p. 795; McQuillin, Municipal Corp., § 709. The complaint in this case sets forth n…”
County of Grand Forks v. Cream of Wheat Co., 1918 ND 155 (1918, Christianson, J.)
State ex rel. Miller, Atty. Gen., v. Buttzville State Bank, 1913 ND 103 (1913, Burke, J.)

Ex post facto laws and criminal punishment

State v. Rinde, 2024 ND 33 (2024, Bahr, J.)
Knutson v. Foughty, et al., 2023 ND 20 (2023, Bahr, J.)
State v. Comes, 2019 ND 99 (2019, McEvers, J.)
N.D. Att'y Gen.: N.D. Op. Att'y Gen. 2000-L-6 (2000)
State v. Burr, 1999 ND 143 (1999, Sandstrom, J.)
N.D. Att'y Gen.: N.D. Op. Att'y Gen. 93-F-21 (1993)
N.D. Att'y Gen.: N.D. Op. Att'y Gen. 86-35 (1986)
State v. Goodbird, 1984 ND 19 (1984, VandeWalle, J.)
State v. Lebus, 1983 ND 177 (1983, Erickstad, J.)
State v. Jensen, 1983 ND 54 (1983, Paulson, J.)
State v. Pleason, 1928 ND 24 (1928, Burr, J.)

Mortgage moratoria and debtor-relief legislation

First Federal Sav. and Loan Ass'n v. Haley, 1984 ND 196 (1984, VandeWalle, J.)
Federal Farm Mortgage Corporation v. Berzel, 1940 ND 12 (1940, Burke, J.)
First Nat. Bank of Waseca v. Paulson, 1939 ND 48 (1939, Christianson, J.)
Federal Farm Mortgage Corp. v. Falk, 1937 ND 20 (1937, Burke, J.)
Federal Farm Mortgage Corp. v. Falk, 1936 ND 73 (1936, Burke, J.)
State ex rel. City of Bismarck v. District Court in and for Burleigh County, 1934 ND 13 (1934, Nuessle, J.)
Walstad v. Dawson, 1934 ND 2 (1934, Nuessle, J.)
State ex rel. Cleveringa v. Klein, 1933 ND 44 (1933, Burr, J.) · quotes the provision
- “…roperty "without due process of law," and therefore violates section 13 of the Constitution of this State and section 1 of the Fourteenth Amendment of the Constitution of the United States; that it "impairs the obligations of contract," and therefore violates section 16 of the State Constitution and section 10 of article 1 of the Constitution of the United States; and that it grants privileges to a certain class of citizens which are not granted to other citizens upon the same terms, i…”
First National Bank of Turtle Lake v. Bovey, Shute & Jackson, Inc., 1922 ND 161 (1922, Christianson, J.)
E. J. Lander & Co. v. Deemy, 1920 ND 28 (1920, Christianson, J.)

Public contracts, bonds, and appropriations

N.D. Att'y Gen.: N.D. Op. Att'y Gen. 2003-L-54 (2003)
N.D. Att'y Gen.: N.D. Op. Att'y Gen. 2002-L-57 (2002)
N.D. Att'y Gen.: N.D. Op. Att'y Gen. (Mar. 23, 2001)
N.D. Att'y Gen.: N.D. Op. Att'y Gen. (July 6, 2000)
N.D. Att'y Gen.: N.D. Op. Att'y Gen. 83-14 (1983)
N.D. Att'y Gen.: N.D. Op. Att'y Gen. 75-167 (1975)
N.D. Att'y Gen.: N.D. Op. Att'y Gen. 75-216 (1975)
N.D. Att'y Gen.: N.D. Op. Att'y Gen. 69-251 (1969)
N.D. Att'y Gen.: N.D. Op. Att'y Gen. (May 16, 1951) (to Printing)
Werner v. Riebe (State, Interveners), 1941 ND 7 (1941, Burke, J.)

Bills of attainder and civil disabilities of felons

State v. Irwin, 2010 ND 132 (2010, VandeWalle, J.) · quotes the provision
- ¶ 10: “…Irwin also argues he suffered a manifest injustice because N.D.C.C. § 39-08-01 is an unconstitutional bill of attainder. Article I, Section 18 of the North Dakota Constitution states, "No bill of attainder, ex post facto law, or law impairing the obligations of contracts shall ever be passed." Article I, Section 9, Clause 3 of the United States Constitution si…”
Norman v. Leingang, 1994 ND 183 (1994, Neumann, J.)

Other applications

State v. Birchfield, 2016 ND 182 (2016, per curiam)
Arneson v. City of Fargo, 1981 ND 42 (1981, Paulson, J.)

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