--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's never appropriate for a judge to…" description: "\"It's never appropriate for a judge to impose that judge's personal convictions - whether they derive from faith or anywhere else - on the law.\" — Amy C..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/54e/amy-coney-barrett-41681_constitution_it-s-never-appropriate-for-a-judge-to-im_479252.jpg" --- # It's never appropriate for a judge to impose that judge's… ![“It's never appropriate for a judge to impose that judge's personal convictions - whether they derive from faith or anywhere else - on the law.” quote by Amy Coney Barrett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/54e/amy-coney-barrett-41681_constitution_it-s-never-appropriate-for-a-judge-to-im_479252.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/54e/amy-coney-barrett-41681_constitution_it-s-never-appropriate-for-a-judge-to-im_479252.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/54e/amy-coney-barrett-41681_constitution_it-s-never-appropriate-for-a-judge-to-im_479252.jpg) > “It's never appropriate for a judge to impose that judge's personal convictions - whether they derive from faith or anywhere else - on the law.” [Amy Coney Barrett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-coney-barrett/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Judges must keep personal beliefs separate from legal decisions to preserve impartiality. **In simple terms:** Judges should not let personal views dictate law. Key Takeaway Maintain judicial neutrality. Themes ethics law impartiality Mood serious thoughtful Type ethical legal When to use this quote - court rulings - legislative drafting - public policy debates Key Concepts judicial independence separation of church and state Questions to Reflect On - How can judges ensure decisions remain unbiased? - What mechanisms guard against personal bias? A Different Perspective Personal convictions may still subtly influence interpretation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Constitution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/constitution/) [Convictions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/convictions/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Faith Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith-law-273057/) [Impose Judge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impose-judge-4123326/) [Judge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judge/) [Judge Impose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judge-impose-4123325/) [Judge Personal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judge-personal-4123324/) [Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) [Never](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/never/) [Personal Convictions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/personal-convictions-1759629/) ## Related quotes > [I would never impose my own personal convictions upon the law.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-coney-barrett/i-would-never-impose-my-own-personal-convictions-upon-the-law/) [Amy Coney Barrett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-coney-barrett/) > [Personal convictions are not politics. Personal convictions, if they become the subject of a group conviction, they become a cult.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-finkelstein/personal-convictions-are-not-politics-personal-convictions-if-they/) [Norman Finkelstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-finkelstein/) > [“I also hold very strong personal convictions about censorship. I don't believe in forbidden knowledge.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-cremer/i-also-hold-very-strong-personal-convictions-about-censorship-i-don-t/) [Andrea Cremer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-cremer/) > [With each success your faith in the law will grow stronger, until you reach the point of total conviction. Then you will be invincible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-mcdonald/with-each-success-your-faith-in-the-law-will-grow-stronger-until-you/) [Roger McDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-mcdonald/) > [“There is, in truth, no genuine confrontation between faith and law; there is no choice between them. If one starts out with a philosophy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliezer-berkovits/there-is-in-truth-no-genuine-confrontation-between-faith-and-law/) [Eliezer Berkovits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliezer-berkovits/) > [There is no such thing as a lack of faith. We all have plenty of faith, it's just that we have faith in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-butterworth/there-is-no-such-thing-as-a-lack-of-faith-we-all-have-plenty-of-faith/) [Eric Butterworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-butterworth/) > [How so? Briefly, apart from the gospel and outside of Christ, the law is my enemy and condemns me. Why? Because God is my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/how-so-briefly-apart-from-the-gospel-and-outside-of-christ-the-law-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [A judge may never subvert the law or twist it in any way to match the judge's convictions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-coney-barrett/a-judge-may-never-subvert-the-law-or-twist-it-in-any-way-to-match-the/) [Amy Coney Barrett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-coney-barrett/) > [“Because some people never grow up, or not in a way that allows them to develop the courage of their convictions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-fesperman/because-some-people-never-grow-up-or-not-in-a-way-that-allows-them-to/) [Dan Fesperman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-fesperman/) > [I don't think Ed Miliband has the courage of his convictions. He's scared he'll be painted by the rightwing press as a throwback to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-lucas/i-don-t-think-ed-miliband-has-the-courage-of-his-convictions-he-s/) [Caroline Lucas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-lucas/) > [“In response to my father-in-law's view, I offered no opinion. He was not looking for my opinion. He had merely been spouting his belief,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/in-response-to-my-father-in-law-s-view-i-offered-no-opinion-he-was/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [Don't worry about what others think of you. It doesn't matter as long as you have your own convictions and are proud of what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rvm/don-t-worry-about-what-others-think-of-you-it-doesn-t-matter-as-long/) [RVM](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rvm/) > [In this kind of situation, we tend to cling to his convictions, we believe that, by magic, we are going to recover. Then we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacky-ickx/in-this-kind-of-situation-we-tend-to-cling-to-his-convictions-we/) [Jacky Ickx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacky-ickx/) > [The convictions that leaders have formed before reaching high office are the intellectual capital they will consume as long as they continue in office.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-a-kissinger/the-convictions-that-leaders-have-formed-before-reaching-high-office/) [Henry A. Kissinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-a-kissinger/) > [“The construction of life is at present in the power of facts far more than of convictions, and of such facts as have scarcely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-benjamin/the-construction-of-life-is-at-present-in-the-power-of-facts-far-more/) [Walter Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-benjamin/) ## More by Amy Coney Barrett > [Judges cannot - nor should they try to - align our legal system with the Church's moral teaching whenever the two diverge. They should,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-coney-barrett/judges-cannot-nor-should-they-try-to-align-our-legal-system-with-the/) [Amy Coney Barrett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-coney-barrett/) > [In a system of precedent, the new majority bears the weight of explaining why the constitutional vision of their predecessors was flawed and of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-coney-barrett/in-a-system-of-precedent-the-new-majority-bears-the-weight-of/) [Amy Coney Barrett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-coney-barrett/) > [I tend to agree with those who say that a justice's duty is to the Constitution and that it is thus more legitimate for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-coney-barrett/i-tend-to-agree-with-those-who-say-that-a-justice-s-duty-is-to-the/) [Amy Coney Barrett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-coney-barrett/) > [Were I confirmed as a judge, I would decide cases according to the rule of law beginning to end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-coney-barrett/were-i-confirmed-as-a-judge-i-would-decide-cases-according-to-the/) [Amy Coney Barrett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-coney-barrett/) > [I would not want to leave the impression that I would give some precedents more weight than others because of some sort of academic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-coney-barrett/i-would-not-want-to-leave-the-impression-that-i-would-give-some/) [Amy Coney Barrett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-coney-barrett/) > [A judge may never subvert the law or twist it in any way to match the judge's convictions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-coney-barrett/a-judge-may-never-subvert-the-law-or-twist-it-in-any-way-to-match-the/) [Amy Coney Barrett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-coney-barrett/) > [I totally reject and have rejected throughout my entire career the proposition that the end justifies the means or that a judge should decide…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-coney-barrett/i-totally-reject-and-have-rejected-throughout-my-entire-career-the/) [Amy Coney Barrett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-coney-barrett/) > [Your legal career is but a means to an end, and... that end is building the kingdom of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-coney-barrett/your-legal-career-is-but-a-means-to-an-end-and-that-end-is-building/) [Amy Coney Barrett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-coney-barrett/) > [I would never impose my own personal convictions upon the law.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-coney-barrett/i-would-never-impose-my-own-personal-convictions-upon-the-law/) [Amy Coney Barrett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-coney-barrett/) [Explore all 10 Amy Coney Barrett quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-coney-barrett/) ## More Constitution quotes > [ Next came the Patent laws. These began in England in 1624; and, in this country, with the adoption of our constitution. Before then \[these?\],… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/next-came-the-patent-laws-these-began-in-england-in-1624-and-in-this/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [“In American terms, the accomplishment of Genghis Khan might be understood if the United States, instead of being created by a group of educated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-weatherford/in-american-terms-the-accomplishment-of-genghis-khan-might-be/) [Jack Weatherford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-weatherford/) > [In this choice of inheritance we have given to our frame of polity the image of a relation in blood; binding up the constitution…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-burke/in-this-choice-of-inheritance-we-have-given-to-our-frame-of-polity/) [Edmund Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-burke/) > [As for doing good; that is one of the professions which is full. Moreover I have tried it fairly and, strange as it may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/as-for-doing-good-that-is-one-of-the-professions-which-is-full/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [While not widely reported, our victories in Iraq are plentiful. National elections, a democratic parliament and the drafting of a constitution are just some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-gillmor/while-not-widely-reported-our-victories-in-iraq-are-plentiful/) [Paul Gillmor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-gillmor/) > [In a recent decision of the Supreme Court, not made, however, by the full court, and concurred in by only four justices, it was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bates-clark/in-a-recent-decision-of-the-supreme-court-not-made-however-by-the/) [John Bates Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bates-clark/) > [The judiciary must not take on the coloration of whatever may be popular at the moment. We are guardian of rights, and we have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-bird/the-judiciary-must-not-take-on-the-coloration-of-whatever-may-be/) [Rose Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-bird/) > [There is not a revolution that succe Women are suffering because they are being excluded. The high military council excluded women from the committee…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nawal-el-saadawi/there-is-not-a-revolution-that-succe-women-are-suffering-because-they/) [Nawal El Saadawi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nawal-el-saadawi/) > [Free government is founded in jealousy, and not in confidence; it is jealousy, and not confidence, which prescribes limited constitutions, to bind down those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/free-government-is-founded-in-jealousy-and-not-in-confidence-it-is/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [The American Constitution declares 'All men are born equal.' The British Socialist Party add: 'All men must be kept equal'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/the-american-constitution-declares-all-men-are-born-equal-the-british/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [“The Court has a special responsibility to ensure that the Constitution works in practice. While education, including the transmission of our civic values from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-breyer/the-court-has-a-special-responsibility-to-ensure-that-the/) [Stephen Breyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-breyer/) > [The Constitution is very clear on the - on the declaration of war or reacting to international crimes - crimes against nations. It is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-pitts/the-constitution-is-very-clear-on-the-on-the-declaration-of-war-or/) [Joe Pitts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-pitts/) > [Nothing from man's hands, nor law, nor constitution, can be final. Truth alone is final.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-sumner/nothing-from-man-s-hands-nor-law-nor-constitution-can-be-final-truth/) [Charles Sumner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-sumner/) > [“I am apprehensive, Sir, that in the warmth of my feelings, I may have uttered expressions, which were too vehement. If such has been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-hamilton/i-am-apprehensive-sir-that-in-the-warmth-of-my-feelings-i-may-have/) [Alexander Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-hamilton/) > [Conservative political opinion in America cleaves to the tradition of the judge as passive interpreter, believing that his absolute loyalty to authoritative law is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/learned-hand/conservative-political-opinion-in-america-cleaves-to-the-tradition-of/) [Learned Hand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/learned-hand/) [Browse all 4,507 Constitution quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/constitution/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It's never appropriate for a judge to impose that judge's personal convictions - whether they derive from faith or anywhere else - on the law.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Amy Coney Barrett" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-coney-barrett/it-s-never-appropriate-for-a-judge-to-impose-that-judge-s-personal/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Constitution" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-coney-barrett/it-s-never-appropriate-for-a-judge-to-impose-that-judge-s-personal/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/54e/amy-coney-barrett-41681_constitution_it-s-never-appropriate-for-a-judge-to-im_479252.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/54e/amy-coney-barrett-41681_constitution_it-s-never-appropriate-for-a-judge-to-im_479252.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/54e/amy-coney-barrett-41681_constitution_it-s-never-appropriate-for-a-judge-to-im_479252.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It's never appropriate for a judge to impose that judge's personal convictions - whether they derive from…” — Amy Coney Barrett", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Amy Coney Barrett", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-coney-barrett/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It's never appropriate for a judge...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-coney-barrett/it-s-never-appropriate-for-a-judge-to-impose-that-judge-s-personal/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-coney-barrett/it-s-never-appropriate-for-a-judge-to-impose-that-judge-s-personal/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```