Robert H. Jackson Quotes About Opinions

Quotes about: Opinions

• Those who begin coercive elimination of dissent soon find themselves exterminating dissenters. Compulsory unification of opinion achieves only the unanimity of the graveyard.

  Robert H. Jackson

  Liberty, Opinion, Achieve

  West Virginia State Bd. of Educ. v. Barnette (1943)

• When the Supreme Court moved to Washington in 1800, it was provided with no books, which probably accounts for the high quality of early opinions.

  Robert H. Jackson

  Book, America, Quality

  "The Supreme Court in the American System of Government". Book by Robert H. Jackson, p. 30, 1955.

• We set up government by consent of the governed, and the Bill of Rights denies those in power any legal opportunity to coerce that consent. Authority here is to be controlled by public opinion, not public opinion by authority.

  Robert H. Jackson

  Opportunity, Rights, Government

  "West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette 319 U.S. 641". Judicial opinion, 1943.

• But an escape less self-depreciating was taken by Lord Westbury, who, it is said, rebuffed a barrister's reliance upon an earlier opinion of his Lordship: "I can only say that I am amazed that a man of my intelligence should have been guilty of giving such an opinion". If there are other ways of gracefully and good-naturedly surrendering former views to a better considered position, I invoke them all.

  Robert H. Jackson

  Taken, Men, Should Have

  "McGrath v. Kristensen, 340 U.S. 162, 178". Concurring opinion, 1950.

• The Tax Court is independent, and its neutrality is not clouded by prosecuting duties. Its procedures assure fair hearings. Its deliberations are evidenced by careful opinions. All guides to judgment available to judges are habitually consulted and respected. It has established a tradition of freedom from bias and pressures. It deals with a subject that is highly specialized and so complex as to be the despair of judges. It is relatively better staffed for its task than is the judiciary.

  Robert H. Jackson

  Independent, Judging, Despair

• Any court which undertakes by its legal processes to enforce civil liberties needs the support of an enlightened and vigorous public opinion which will be intelligent and discriminating as to what cases really are civil liberties cases and what questions really are involved in those cases.

  Robert H. Jackson

  Intelligent, Support, Liberty

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