Also known as: reasonable relations · reasonable relationship
Written by attorneys · grounded in primary & secondary sources — see below
2 senses
A connection between a transaction and a jurisdiction that is sufficient to permit the parties to agree that the law of that jurisdiction will govern their rights and duties.
A connection between a transaction and a jurisdiction that is sufficient to permit the parties to agree that the law of that jurisdiction will govern their rights and duties.
Select any source to read its text and confirm it supports the definition.
A rational connection between governmental action and a legitimate interest that satisfies constitutional due-process requirements.
Select any source to read its text and confirm it supports the definition.
A rational connection between governmental action and a legitimate interest that satisfies constitutional due-process requirements.
Each sense below has its own examples, sources, and questions.
Raven Logistics in State A manufactures engine parts and ships them to Regal Apparel in State B for assembly. The contract selects Canadian law because Regal Apparel's parent is Canadian. All production and delivery occur in the United States. A court must decide whether the ownership link alone creates a reasonable relation supporting the choice.
Roger Ramirez attends a scouting event in State X while the organization is based in State Y. An injury occurs and the guest statute of State X bars recovery. The court determines which state's law applies by assessing whether the organization's contacts create a reasonable relation to the chosen jurisdiction.
The test is satisfied when a significant portion of the making or performance of the contract occurs in the chosen state. Ownership by a parent company located elsewhere is usually too attenuated when all operational contacts are domestic.
Supporting sources
No. The selected jurisdiction must have a meaningful connection to the transaction. Purely tactical selections lacking contacts fail the test and the forum's law applies by default.
Supporting sources
Rhea Reynolds lives with her grandson in a single-family zone that limits occupancy to nuclear families. The city defends the ordinance as protecting neighborhood character. The restriction prevents extended family living arrangements that do not increase density or traffic. A court evaluates whether the rule bears a reasonable relation to a permissible zoning objective.
Rita Russell buys a new car whose paint defect was concealed by the manufacturer. A jury awards compensatory damages plus punitive damages many times larger than the harm. The court examines whether the punitive award maintains a reasonable relation to the actual and potential harm from the misconduct.
Roland Rhodes, a nonresident, pays a higher fee to shrimp in State waters than residents pay. The state claims the differential covers added enforcement costs. The court tests whether the fee structure maintains a reasonable relation to legitimate conservation and revenue interests without unduly burdening interstate commerce.
Renee Rogers receives a large punitive damages verdict against an insurer for bad-faith claims handling. The insurer argues the award is excessive. The court assesses whether the amount bears a reasonable relation to the compensatory damages and the reprehensibility of the conduct.
A land-use regulation survives if it is not arbitrary and bears a rational connection to public health, safety, morals, or general welfare. Uneven application to similar parcels can show the absence of such a relation.
Supporting sources
Courts examine whether the punitive amount maintains a reasonable relation to the harm likely to occur and the harm that actually occurred. Ratios that greatly exceed compensatory damages require justification based on reprehensibility.
Supporting sources
…not be interfered with, under the guise of protecting the public interest, by legislative action which is arbitrary or without reasonable relation to some purpose within the competency of the State to effect." Meyer v. Nebraska , 262 U. S., at 399-400. This means-end test appears to require that any statute restrictive of liberty…