Justice Quote by Jonathan Swift
““It is a maxim among these lawyers, that whatever hath been done before may legally be done again: and therefore they take special care to record all the decisions formerly made against common justice and the general reason of mankind. These, under the name of precedents, they produce as authorities, to justify the most iniquitous opinions; and the judges never fail of decreeing accordingly.””
About This Quote
Source Essay: A Tale of a Tub, 1704
Lawyers treat past rulings as immutable authority, justifying unjust opinions through precedent.
In simple terms: Legal precedent can be misused to support injustice.
Key Takeaway
Question the authority of past decisions.
Themes
law
justice
precedent
authority
Mood
critical
analytical
Type
philosophical
observational
When to use this quote
- court rulings
- policy making
- historical analysis
Key Concepts
legal theory
political philosophy
ethics
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you balance respect for precedent with moral progress?
- When should precedent be challenged?
A Different Perspective
Precedent also provides stability and predictability.
![“This cold weather has set all the young Folks to providing Bedfellows. I have signed two or three Licences every Day [as a Fairfax Justice of the Peace] since I have been at Home. I wish I knew where to get a good one myself; for I find cold Sheets extreamly disagreeable.” quote by George Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/b92/george-mason-8435_bedfellows_this-cold-weather-has-set-all-the-young_3953.jpg)
