"Is due process the wrong term? Can't due process occur after the fact?" Yes, it can occur after the fact. At least in the US, it's a complex balancing act whe

"Is due process the wrong term? Can't due process occur after the fact?" Yes, it can occur after the fact. At least in the US, it's a complex balancing act whether you get pre or post-termination notice/hearing. For example, deprivation/termination of social security benefits only require post-termination hearing. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mathews_v._Eldridge http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mathews_v._Eldridge Welfare, on the other hand, requires pre-termination notice + hearing http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goldberg_v._Kelly http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goldberg_v._Kelly