Without the basis in written law, and without the basis in our Constitution ratified by the people, judges can't make laws. And if we accept the notion that their dictates are law, then we have not only submitted to tyranny, we have abandoned a republican form of government.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Judges cannot create laws without written constitutional basis; accepting this risks tyranny.
- In plain terms
- Judges need written law to make rules, or it becomes tyranny.
- What can you take from it?
- Legal authority must stem from written constitutions.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Where does judicial power end?
- Can judges make law?
Another view
Courts interpret laws to fill gaps left by legislatures.
More from Alan Keyes
We must reject dictatorship in whatever form it takes--and especially when it rears its head in our own midst on the bench.
Permalink to quote #32 There is a difference between constitutional government and judicial dictatorship. And I think it's time we remembered that our Constitution was not put togeth…
Permalink to quote #34 The answer to crime is not gun control, it is law enforcement and self-control.
Permalink to quote #31
Related quotes
The right of a nation to kill a tyrant, in cases of necessity, can no more be doubted, than to hang a robber, or kill a flea. But killing one tyrant only makes…
John AdamsJohn Adams quote #79 'Abu Ghraib is unbelievable in the innocent times of 1961. That we would torture people that way and on the instructions of the President of the United States …
Ramsey ClarkRamsey Clark quote #1 Right now the [European] Constitution is mere paper, with no bearing upon the British people, although they might find it good for doorstops, good for real fir…
Nigel FarageNigel Farage quote #1