Adopted Quote by Hugo Black
“The public welfare demands that constitutional cases must be decided according to the terms of the Constitution itself, and not according to judges views of fairness, reasonableness, or justice. I have no fear of constitutional amendments properly adopted, but I do fear the rewriting of the Constitution by judges under the guise of interpretation.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Supreme Court Remarks, 1937
The Constitution should be interpreted strictly by its text, not reshaped by judges' personal notions of fairness.
In simple terms: Judges must follow the Constitution, not their own ideas of justice.
Key Takeaway
Uphold textual fidelity in legal decisions.
Themes
law
constitution
judicial restraint
Mood
serious
reflective
Type
legal
philosophical
When to use this quote
- court rulings
- legislative drafting
- constitutional amendment debates
Key Concepts
originalism
legal theory
separation of powers
Questions to Reflect On
- Should judges ever consider contemporary standards?
- How to balance original intent with modern realities?
A Different Perspective
Rigid textualism may ignore evolving societal values.
