Cite as: 522 U. S. 222 (1998)
Kennedy, J., concurring in judgment
Justice Kennedy, with whom Justice O'Connor and Justice Thomas join, concurring in the judgment.
I concur in the judgment. In my view the case is controlled by well-settled full faith and credit principles which render the majority's extended analysis unnecessary and, with all due respect, problematic in some degree. This separate opinion explains my approach.
I
The majority, of course, is correct to hold that when a judgment is presented to the courts of a second State it may not be denied enforcement based upon some disagreement with the laws of the State of rendition. Full faith and credit forbids the second State to question a judgment on these grounds. There can be little doubt of this proposition. We have often recognized the second State's obligation to give effect to another State's judgments even when the law underlying those judgments contravenes the public policy of the second State. See, e. g., Estin v. Estin, 334 U. S. 541, 544-546 (1948); Sherrer v. Sherrer, 334 U. S. 343, 354-355 (1948); Magnolia Petroleum Co. v. Hunt, 320 U. S. 430, 438 (1943); Williams v. North Carolina, 317 U. S. 287, 294-295 (1942); Fauntleroy v. Lum, 210 U. S. 230, 237 (1908).
My concern is that the majority, having stated the principle, proceeds to disregard it by announcing two broad exceptions. First, the majority would allow courts outside the issuing State to decline to enforce those judgments "purport[ing] to accomplish an official act within the exclusive province of [a sister] State." Ante, at 235. Second, the basic rule of full faith and credit is said not to cover injunctions "interfer[ing] with litigation over which the ordering State had no authority." Ibid. The exceptions the majority recognizes are neither consistent with its rejection of a public policy exception to full faith and credit nor in accord with established rules implementing the Full Faith and Credit Clause. As employed to resolve this case, furthermore, the
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