The role of accounting in the corporate personhood debate Online publication date: Thu, 07-Aug-2014
by Bob Peace
International Journal of Critical Accounting (IJCA), Vol. 4, No. 3, 2012
Abstract: A recent US Supreme Court decision, Citizens United v. Federal Elections Committee affirmed the treatment of corporations as persons under the law. This interpretation of the Constitution provides corporations with the same freedoms that protect individual citizens. Of most importance is the First Amendment guarantee of freedom of speech. This decision allows corporations to exercise their substantial financial power, as political power, to influence elections. The court's opinion also offers corporations a constitutional shield against unannounced searches under the Fourth Amendment. This means that health and safety inspections of corporate property must be done pursuant to a court authorised warrant. International accounting firms owe much of their existence and success to business corporations. As a consequence, accounting firms, through their affiliation with lobbying concerns and friend of the court brief advocates, appear to have exerted an influence on this issue with the courts.
Existing subscribers:
Go to Inderscience Online Journals to access the Full Text of this article.
If you are not a subscriber and you just want to read the full contents of this article, buy online access here.Complimentary Subscribers, Editors or Members of the Editorial Board of the International Journal of Critical Accounting (IJCA):
Login with your Inderscience username and password:
Want to subscribe?
A subscription gives you complete access to all articles in the current issue, as well as to all articles in the previous three years (where applicable). See our Orders page to subscribe.
If you still need assistance, please email subs@inderscience.com
Our Blog 
Follow us on Twitter 
Visit us on Facebook