--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The law is above the law, you know." description: "\"The law is above the law, you know.\" — Dorothy Salisbury Davis" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c4c/dorothy-salisbury-davis-39731_above-the-law_the-law-is-above-the-law-you-know-736397_736397.png" --- # The law is above the law, you know. ![“The law is above the law, you know.” quote by Dorothy Salisbury Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c4c/dorothy-salisbury-davis-39731_above-the-law_the-law-is-above-the-law-you-know-736397_736397.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c4c/dorothy-salisbury-davis-39731_above-the-law_the-law-is-above-the-law-you-know-736397_736397.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c4c/dorothy-salisbury-davis-39731_above-the-law_the-law-is-above-the-law-you-know-736397_736397.png) > “The law is above the law, you know.” [Dorothy Salisbury Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-salisbury-davis/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Law should be applied equally, yet sometimes those who enforce it are exempt. **In simple terms:** Law must be impartial, not self‑exempt. Key Takeaway Demand fairness from legal systems. Themes justice hypocrisy law Mood serious concerned Type critical analytical When to use this quote - court rulings - policy reform - public advocacy Key Concepts Legal theory ethical standards Questions to Reflect On - How can we ensure law applies to all? - What mechanisms prevent legal double standards? A Different Perspective Legal exemptions can erode trust. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Above the law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/above-the-law/) [Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) [Laws](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laws/) ## Related quotes > [Sometimes you have to go above the law.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fawn-hall/sometimes-you-have-to-go-above-the-law/) [Fawn Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fawn-hall/) > [Live like the Kennedy's, above the law.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/big-pun/live-like-the-kennedy-s-above-the-law/) [Big Pun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/big-pun/) > [The vision that the founding fathers had of rule of law and equality before the law and no one above the law, that is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bovard/the-vision-that-the-founding-fathers-had-of-rule-of-law-and-equality/) [James Bovard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bovard/) > [Necessity knows no law; I know some attorneys of the same.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/necessity-knows-no-law-i-know-some-attorneys-of-the-same/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [ In order to know what \[the law\] is, we must know what it has been, and what it tends to become. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-order-to-know-what-the-law-is-we-must-know-what-it-has-been-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Don't believe in miracles and I won't even try, I know the law I know how to die.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/motorhead/don-t-believe-in-miracles-and-i-won-t-even-try-i-know-the-law-i-know/) [Motorhead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/motorhead/) > [lawyers never go to law, do they? They know better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/lawyers-never-go-to-law-do-they-they-know-better/) [Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/) > [Fact I know; and Law I know; but what is this Necessity, save an empty shadow of my own mind's throwing?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-huxley/fact-i-know-and-law-i-know-but-what-is-this-necessity-save-an-empty/) [Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-huxley/) > [If you're going to vote yes and change the law. You have to know what's in it. You can't depend on other people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-amash/if-you-re-going-to-vote-yes-and-change-the-law-you-have-to-know-what/) [Justin Amash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-amash/) > [The man who does not know the nature of the Law, cannot know the nature of sin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bunyan/the-man-who-does-not-know-the-nature-of-the-law-cannot-know-the/) [John Bunyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bunyan/) > [I know two types of law because I know two types of men, those who are with us and those who are against us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-goring/i-know-two-types-of-law-because-i-know-two-types-of-men-those-who-are/) [Hermann Goring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-goring/) > [I operate according to a definite, unerring law...I know the outcome before I start.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-mcdonald/i-operate-according-to-a-definite-unerring-law-i-know-the-outcome/) [Roger McDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-mcdonald/) > [I don't pretend to be an expert on intellectual property law, but I do know one thing. If a music industry executive claims I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janis-ian/i-don-t-pretend-to-be-an-expert-on-intellectual-property-law-but-i-do/) [Janis Ian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janis-ian/) > [I don't hold any contempt for people who are practicing law. I know how hard it is, I know how hard they work, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/min-jin-lee/i-don-t-hold-any-contempt-for-people-who-are-practicing-law-i-know/) [Min Jin Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/min-jin-lee/) > [People are educated into the fact that as a people we stand a better chance of knowing how to work the law if we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immortal-technique/people-are-educated-into-the-fact-that-as-a-people-we-stand-a-better/) [Immortal Technique](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immortal-technique/) ## More by Dorothy Salisbury Davis > [It's a great wonder to me, the Irish attachment to our history. What is it but a series of lamentations?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-salisbury-davis/it-s-a-great-wonder-to-me-the-irish-attachment-to-our-history-what-is/) [Dorothy Salisbury Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-salisbury-davis/) > [We reveal more of ourselves in the lies we tell than we do when we try to tell the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-salisbury-davis/we-reveal-more-of-ourselves-in-the-lies-we-tell-than-we-do-when-we/) [Dorothy Salisbury Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-salisbury-davis/) > [No one who likes a song lacks congeniality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-salisbury-davis/no-one-who-likes-a-song-lacks-congeniality/) [Dorothy Salisbury Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-salisbury-davis/) > [I don't approve the informality in the world today, Mr. James. It's made strangers of us all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-salisbury-davis/i-don-t-approve-the-informality-in-the-world-today-mr-james-it-s-made/) [Dorothy Salisbury Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-salisbury-davis/) > [Beware of feelings, Father. They are the biggest liars in us. They make truth what we want it to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-salisbury-davis/beware-of-feelings-father-they-are-the-biggest-liars-in-us-they-make/) [Dorothy Salisbury Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-salisbury-davis/) > [History's like a story in a way: it depends on who's telling it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-salisbury-davis/history-s-like-a-story-in-a-way-it-depends-on-who-s-telling-it/) [Dorothy Salisbury Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-salisbury-davis/) > [There’s no snobbery like that of the poor toward one another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-salisbury-davis/there-s-no-snobbery-like-that-of-the-poor-toward-one-another/) [Dorothy Salisbury Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-salisbury-davis/) > [Don't sell your soul to buy peanuts for the monkeys.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-salisbury-davis/don-t-sell-your-soul-to-buy-peanuts-for-the-monkeys/) [Dorothy Salisbury Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-salisbury-davis/) > [Flattery makes fools of the best of us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-salisbury-davis/flattery-makes-fools-of-the-best-of-us/) [Dorothy Salisbury Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-salisbury-davis/) > [Very often adverse criticism goes to craft, and that sounds an alarm to which attention should be paid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-salisbury-davis/very-often-adverse-criticism-goes-to-craft-and-that-sounds-an-alarm/) [Dorothy Salisbury Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-salisbury-davis/) [Explore all 11 Dorothy Salisbury Davis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-salisbury-davis/) ## More Above the law quotes > [The vision that the founding fathers had of rule of law and equality before the law and no one above the law, that is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bovard/the-vision-that-the-founding-fathers-had-of-rule-of-law-and-equality/) [James Bovard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bovard/) > [It was clear to me that the White House's solemn atmosphere would not civilize Trump. But the merciless nepotism with which he conducts politics,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-schulz/it-was-clear-to-me-that-the-white-house-s-solemn-atmosphere-would-not/) [Martin Schulz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-schulz/) > [“no man is above the law and that includes the president of the United States”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-allred/no-man-is-above-the-law-and-that-includes-the-president-of-the-united/) [Gloria Allred](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-allred/) > [The intelligence community, for the most part, has no accountability at all; to the Congress, to us the American people, and so they feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-naylor/the-intelligence-community-for-the-most-part-has-no-accountability-at/) [Gloria Naylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-naylor/) > [In England Parliament is above the law. In America the law is above Congress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-acton/in-england-parliament-is-above-the-law-in-america-the-law-is-above/) [Lord Acton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-acton/) > [I promise, before God and my community, to seek reforms so that the powerful and corrupt are no longer above the law.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-thomas/i-promise-before-god-and-my-community-to-seek-reforms-so-that-the/) [Andrew Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-thomas/) > [At a time when our moral standing in the world has been weakened by a rubber stamp Justice Department that placed the Bush Administration…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbie-wasserman-schultz/at-a-time-when-our-moral-standing-in-the-world-has-been-weakened-by-a/) [Debbie Wasserman Schultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debbie-wasserman-schultz/) > [Any violation of civil rights will be aggressively pursued and prosecuted by my administration. No one will be above the law.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/any-violation-of-civil-rights-will-be-aggressively-pursued-and/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [No one is above the law and that I would pursue justice on their behalf.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-mosby/no-one-is-above-the-law-and-that-i-would-pursue-justice-on-their/) [Marilyn Mosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-mosby/) > [Sometimes you have to go above the law.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fawn-hall/sometimes-you-have-to-go-above-the-law/) [Fawn Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fawn-hall/) > [Live like the Kennedy's, above the law.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/big-pun/live-like-the-kennedy-s-above-the-law/) [Big Pun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/big-pun/) > [As God as my witness, they said, We're above the law. There's nothing you can do to us. You're just a church secretary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-hahn/as-god-as-my-witness-they-said-we-re-above-the-law-there-s-nothing/) [Jessica Hahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-hahn/) > [We are a nation of laws. And nobody can ignore our Constitution. No one's above the law. And that includes the president of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-yang/we-are-a-nation-of-laws-and-nobody-can-ignore-our-constitution-no-one/) [John Yang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-yang/) > [Wherever the Government does not emanate...from the people, the principle of the Government, the esprit de corps, the point of honour, in all those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/wherever-the-government-does-not-emanate-from-the-people-the/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [No one is above the law, not even the president. I believe perjury does meet at least the definition of high misdemeanor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-johnson/no-one-is-above-the-law-not-even-the-president-i-believe-perjury-does/) [Nancy Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-johnson/) [Browse all 58 Above the law quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/above-the-law/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The law is above the law, you know.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Dorothy Salisbury Davis" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-salisbury-davis/the-law-is-above-the-law-you-know/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Above the law" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-salisbury-davis/the-law-is-above-the-law-you-know/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c4c/dorothy-salisbury-davis-39731_above-the-law_the-law-is-above-the-law-you-know-736397_736397.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c4c/dorothy-salisbury-davis-39731_above-the-law_the-law-is-above-the-law-you-know-736397_736397.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c4c/dorothy-salisbury-davis-39731_above-the-law_the-law-is-above-the-law-you-know-736397_736397.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The law is above the law, you know.” — Dorothy Salisbury Davis", "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": "Dorothy Salisbury Davis", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-salisbury-davis/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The law is above the law,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-salisbury-davis/the-law-is-above-the-law-you-know/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-salisbury-davis/the-law-is-above-the-law-you-know/#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 } } ] } ```