Judicial Branch Quotes

• Historically, the judicial branch has often been the sole protector of the rights of minority groups against the will of the popular majority.

  Diane Watson

  Halloween, Rights, Majority

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• . . . [The Judicial Branch] may truly be said to have neither FORCE nor WILL, but merely judgment; and must ultimately depend upon the aid of the executive arm even for the efficacy of its judgments.

  Alexander Hamilton

  Branches, May, Arms

  The Federalist no. 78 (1788)

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• The executive branch has grown too strong, the judicial branch too arrogant and the legislative branch too stupid.

  Lyn Nofziger

  Strong, Stupid, Arrogant

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• To consider judges as the ultimate arbiters of all constitutional questions is a very dangerous doctrine indeed, and one which would place us under the despotism of an oligarchy.

  Thomas Jefferson

  Freedom, Judging, Political

  Thomas Jefferson “Selected letters of Thomas Jefferson”, Lulu.com

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• Apparently a great many people have forgotten that the framers of our Constitution went to such great effort to create an independent judicial branch that would not be subject to retaliation by either the executive branch or the legislative branch because of some decision made by those judges.

  Sandra Day O'Connor

  Independent, Judging, People

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• It is emphatically the province and duty of the Judicial Department to say what the law is.

  John Marshall

  Law, Judicial Review, Court

  Marbury v. Madison (1803)

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• The great object of my fear is the federal judiciary. That body, like gravity, ever acting, with noiseless foot, and unalarming advance, gaining ground step by step, and holding what it gains, is ingulfing insidiously the special governments into the jaws of that which feeds them.

  Thomas Jefferson

  Government, Feet, Special

  Thomas Jefferson, Andrew M. Allison (1983). “The Real Thomas Jefferson”, Natl Center for Constitutional

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• [T]he opinion which gives to the judges the right to decide what laws are constitutional and what not, not only for themselves, in their, own sphere of action, but for the Legislature and Executive also in their spheres, would make the Judiciary a despotic branch.

  Thomas Jefferson

  Government, Law, Judging

  Thomas Jefferson (1829). “Memoir, correspondence, and miscellanies from the papers of T. Jefferson”

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• The Constitution is a mere thing of wax in the hands of the judiciary, which they may twist and shape into any form they please.

  Thomas Jefferson

  Patriotic, Hands, Twists

  Thomas Jefferson (1829). “Memoirs, Correspondence and Private Papers of Thomas Jefferson, Late President of the United States”, p.325

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• One single object . . . [will merit] the endless gratitude of the society: that of restraining the judges from usurping legislation.

  Thomas Jefferson

  Gratitude, Judging, Politics

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• The International Court of Justice (a.k.a. World Court) is the judicial branch of the United Nations and in the early 1990's a campaign started and it was supported by civil society non-governmental groups around the world.

  John Burroughs

  Justice, Groups, Campaigns

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• It is emphatically the province and duty of the judicial department to say what the law is...If two laws conflict with each other, the courts must decide on the operation of each...This is of the very essence of judicial duty.

  John Marshall

  Law, Essence, Two

  Marbury v. Madison, 5 U.S. (1 Cranch) 137, 178, 1803.

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• The judicial branch has, in its finest hours, stood firmly on the side of individuals against those who would trample their rights.

  Herb Kohl

  Rights, Branches, Sides

  U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing on Judge Samuel Alito's Nomination to the Supreme Court, www.washingtonpost.com. January 9, 2006.

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• A judiciary independent of a king or executive alone, is a good thing; but independence of the will of the nation is a solecism, at least in a republican government.

  Thomas Jefferson

  Kings, Independent, Government

  Thomas Jefferson (1829). “Memoirs, Correspondence and Private Papers of Thomas Jefferson, Late President of the United States”, p.346

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• The judiciary of the United States is the subtle corps of sappers and miners constantly working under ground to undermine the foundations of our confederated fabric. They are construing our constitution from a co-ordination of a general and special government to a general and supreme one alone.

  Thomas Jefferson

  Government, Special, Foundation

  Thomas Jefferson (1861). “Correspondence. Reports and opinions while secretarry of state”, p.192

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• The germ of dissolution of our federal government is in the constitution of the federal judiciary; an irresponsible body, (for impeachment is scarcely a scare-crow) working like gravity by night and by day, gaining a little today and a little tomorrow, and advancing its noiseless step like a thief, over the field of jurisdiction, until all shall be usurped from the States, and the government of all be consolidated into one.

  Thomas Jefferson

  Night, Government, Crow

  Letter to Charles Hammond, August 18, 1821.

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• Maintaining checks and balances on the power of the Judiciary Branch and the other two branches is vital to keep the form of government set up by our Founding Fathers.

  Todd Tiahrt

  Father, Power, Government

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• [R]efusing or not refusing to execute a law to stamp it with its final character . . . makes the Judiciary department paramount in fact to the Legislature, which was never intended and can never be proper.

  James Madison

  Character, Law, Finals

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• On the one hand we want to preserve the integrity of the judicial branch, and we want to talk about judicial independence, and how damaging and dangerous it is when Donald Trump calls out Judge [Gonzalo] Curiel. And at the same time, at the end of the day, judges work for us and we can recall them and we can impeach them.

  Dahlia Lithwick

  Integrity, Hands, Judging

  "What Would Brandeis Do?". "Amicus" podcast, www.slate.com. June 16, 2016.

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• It may seem ironic that the judicial branch preserves its legitimacy through refraining from action on political questions. That concept was put forward best by Justice [Felix] Frankfurter, appointed by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

  Sam Brownback

  Justice, Political, Ironic

  "U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing on Judge Samuel Alito's Nomination to the Supreme Court". www.washingtonpost.com. January 9, 2006.

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• [Nicolas Maduro] completely controls the judicial branch, controls the courts, has denied their basic rights and the responsibility that the legislative branch has in that country.

  Marco Rubio

  Country, Responsibility, Rights

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• The most powerful country in world history, which is sure to set its stamp on what follows, placed the entire government (executive, legislative, judicial branches) in the hands of an organization - the Republican Party - dedicated to escalating the race to disaster.

  Noam Chomsky

  Country, Powerful, Party

  Source: www.brooklynrail.org

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• It's really not a stretch. The checks and balances are the same. The drums are the executive branch. The jazz orchestra is the legislative branch. Logic and reason are like jazz solos. The bass player is the judicial branch. One our greatest ever is Milt Hinton, and his nickname is "The Judge."

  Wynton Marsalis

  Player, Judging, Balance

  Interview with Vickie Karp, www.huffingtonpost.com. January 18, 2009.

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• What's brilliant about the United States system of government is separation of power. Not only the executive, legislative, judicial branches, but also the independence of the military from civilians, an independent media and press, an independent central bank.

  Feisal Abdul Rauf

  Military, Independent, Media

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