Certainty Quote by Benjamin Cardozo
“What has once been settled by a precedent will not be unsettled overnight, for certainty and uniformity are gains not lightly sacrificed. Above all is this true when honest men have shaped their conduct on the faith of the pronouncement.”
About This Quote
Source Legal Opinion: Cardozo on Precedent, 1921
Legal stability depends on respecting precedent; sudden changes undermine certainty.
In simple terms: Respect past rulings to keep law stable.
Key Takeaway
Uphold legal consistency.
Themes
law
stability
precedent
Mood
analytical
cautious
Type
legal
philosophical
When to use this quote
- court rulings
- legislative reforms
- policy making
Key Concepts
jurisprudence
institutional trust
Questions to Reflect On
- How should courts balance precedent with evolving norms?
- When is it justified to overturn a precedent?
A Different Perspective
Rigid adherence can hinder necessary reform.
![“[I]f in other sciences we should arrive at certainty without doubt and truth without error, it behooves us to place the foundations of knowledge in mathematics, in so far as disposed through it we are able to reach certainty in other sciences and truth by the exclusion of error.” quote by Roger Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d13/roger-bacon-15067_able_i-f-in-other-sciences-we-should-arrive-a_24209.jpg)