Lochner v. New York 1905

Could New York limit bakers to sixty hours of work a week?

198 U.S. 45 (1905)Liberty and privacyReasoning repudiated in 1937

The question: Could New York limit bakers to sixty hours of work a week?
What the Court held: No. The limit interfered with liberty of contract protected by the Due Process Clause.
The vote: 5–4
Later repudiated: Its reasoning was rejected in West Coast Hotel Co. v. Parrish (1937).
Era: The Progressive Era and World War I
Read the opinion: 198 U.S. 45 (1905), full text

This page summarizes the Court’s judgment in neutral terms. The opinion, concurrences and dissents are the authority; read them for the reasoning.