Abandoned Quote by Alan Keyes
“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
Source Speech: Address to the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, 1995
Judges must base decisions on written law and the Constitution; otherwise they become tyrannical and undermine republican government.
In simple terms: Law must guide judges, not personal will.
Key Takeaway
Uphold constitutional limits on judicial power.
Themes
law
constitution
judicial power
republicanism
Mood
cautious
serious
Type
political
legal
When to use this quote
- court rulings
- legislative drafting
- constitutional challenges
- public policy debates
Key Concepts
separation of powers
rule of law
Questions to Reflect On
- How do we balance judicial interpretation with legislative intent?
- When should courts defer to elected bodies?
A Different Perspective
Judges sometimes interpret ambiguous statutes, which can blur lines between lawmaking and interpretation.
