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[S]ome score of members of the High Court of Chancery bar…

“[S]ome score of members of the High Court of Chancery bar ought to be --- as here they are --- mistily engaged in one of the ten thousand stages of an endless cause, tripping one another up on slippery precedents, groping knee-deep in technicalities, running their goat-hair and horse-hair warded…” quote by Charles Dickens
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““[S]ome score of members of the High Court of Chancery bar ought to be --- as here they are --- mistily engaged in one of the ten thousand stages of an endless cause, tripping one another up on slippery precedents, groping knee-deep in technicalities, running their goat-hair and horse-hair warded heads against walls of words, and making a pretence of equity with serious faces …””

Charles Dickens

About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The legal system is portrayed as a chaotic, endless maze of technicalities that trap practitioners in endless disputes.

In simple terms: Law is a confusing, never‑ending maze of rules.

Key Takeaway

Recognize and simplify bureaucratic complexity.

Themes

law bureaucracy justice complexity satire

Mood

critical ironic reflective

Type

literary satirical commentary

When to use this quote

  • court cases
  • legal education
  • policy reform
  • public understanding of law

Key Concepts

legal theory procedural absurdity institutional critique

Questions to Reflect On

  • How do procedural rules hinder justice?
  • What reforms could reduce legal labyrinths?
A Different Perspective

The quote exaggerates for effect; real reforms can improve efficiency.

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