Quotes
What the justice system is for, and who is responsible for guarding it.
What is the justice system for?
To establish justice
“Justice is the end of government. It is the end of civil society.” — James Madison, Federalist No. 51. The Constitution’s Preamble names the purpose in two words, “establish Justice.”
To remove barriers and give people a fair chance
“… to lift artificial weights from all shoulders … to afford all, an unfettered start, and a fair chance, in the race of life.” — Abraham Lincoln, Message to Congress, 1861.
To give each person a fair hearing
“Everyone is entitled in full equality to a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal.” — Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 10.
To provide a remedy when someone is wronged
“Every person shall find a certain remedy in the laws for all injuries and wrongs which he receives to his person, privacy, property or reputation.” — Illinois Constitution, Article I, Section 12.
To protect people equally under the law
“No State shall … deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.” — U.S. Constitution, Fourteenth Amendment.
To protect those least able to protect themselves
“Crime and lack of justice are especially cruel to those who are least able to protect themselves.” — Jimmy Carter, inaugural address as governor of Georgia, 1971.
To keep justice within reach regardless of wealth
“To no one will we sell, to no one will we deny or delay right or justice.” — Magna Carta, Clause 40. “There can be no equal justice where the kind of trial a man gets depends on the amount of money he has.” — Justice Hugo Black, Griffin v. Illinois.
To make rights enforceable
“Without such access, laws are liable to become a dead letter.” — Lord Reed, on access to the courts in UNISON v. Lord Chancellor, a case about fees for bringing employment claims.
To give society a foundation
“Justice, on the contrary, is the main pillar that upholds the whole edifice.” — Adam Smith, The Theory of Moral Sentiments.
Proverbs 29:4
“By justice a king brings stability to a land, but a man seeking bribes brings it to ruin.” — Proverbs 29:4, New World Translation.
Who is responsible for guarding it?
Judges, lawyers, and public officials
Judges must hear the small and the great alike
“You must not be partial in judgment. You should hear the small one the same as the great one.” — Deuteronomy 1:17, New World Translation.
Judges, lawyers, and public officials
The federal judicial oath
“I will administer justice without respect to persons, and do equal right to the poor and to the rich.”
Judges, lawyers, and public officials
Lawyers share responsibility for the quality of justice
A lawyer is “an officer of the legal system and a public citizen having special responsibility for the quality of justice.” — American Bar Association, Model Rules of Professional Conduct, Preamble.
Judges, lawyers, and public officials
Public officials must uphold the Constitution
Federal and state lawmakers and executive and judicial officers “shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution.” — U.S. Constitution, Article VI.
Judges, lawyers, and public officials
Those with authority must speak up when people’s rights are at risk
“Speak up and judge righteously; defend the rights of the lowly and the poor.” — Proverbs 31:9, New World Translation.
Reporters and the independent press
Bring overlooked voices into public view
“… journalism that exposes corruption and injustice and gives a voice to the different, the marginalized, the voiceless — that’s power.” — Barack Obama, White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner, 2015.
Reporters and the independent press
Hold the powerful accountable
“Be vigilant and courageous about holding those with power accountable. … Give voice to the voiceless.” — Society of Professional Journalists, Code of Ethics. Bill Kovach and Tom Rosenstiel describe the work as “watching over the powerful few in society on behalf of the many to guard against tyranny.” — The Elements of Journalism.
Reporters and the independent press
Put the facts before the public
“The people must know before they can act, and there is no educator to compare with the press.” — Ida B. Wells, Southern Horrors, 1892.
Reporters and the independent press
Stay independent
“A free press independent of government control and expressing a variety of viewpoints is crucial to both democracy and individual liberty.” — Jimmy Carter, announcing proposed protections for journalists’ work, December 13, 1978.
The people
Pay attention to how the law is used
“Sometimes a law is just on its face and unjust in its application.” — Martin Luther King Jr., Letter from Birmingham Jail.
The people
Listen to those who need the law’s protection
“One goes to the unprotected — those, precisely, who need the law’s protection most! — and listens to their testimony.” — James Baldwin, No Name in the Street.
The people
Uphold rights close to home
“Without concerted citizen action to uphold them close to home, we shall look in vain for progress in the larger world.” — Eleanor Roosevelt, speaking about human rights, 1958.
The people
Remain vigilant
“While the people retain their virtue and vigilance no Administration … can very seriously injure the Government in the short space of four years.” — Abraham Lincoln, First Inaugural Address.
The people
Share responsibility for the country
“Because the single-most powerful word in our democracy is the word ‘We.’” — Barack Obama, marking the 50th anniversary of the Selma to Montgomery marches, 2015.
“A republic, if you can keep it.” — Benjamin Franklin, asked what kind of government the Constitutional Convention had created, as recorded by delegate James McHenry in 1787.