Constitution Quote by Orrin Hatch
![“We must use a judicial, rather than a political, standard to evaluate [a nominee's] fitness for the Supreme Court. That standard must be based on the fundamental principle that judges interpret and apply but do not make law.” quote by Orrin Hatch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d8b/orrin-hatch-8786_constitution_we-must-use-a-judicial-rather-than-a-pol_2567435.jpg)
“We must use a judicial, rather than a political, standard to evaluate [a nominee's] fitness for the Supreme Court. That standard must be based on the fundamental principle that judges interpret and apply but do not make law.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing, 2005
Judges should be judged by legal standards, not political agendas, emphasizing their role to interpret law, not create it.
In simple terms: Judge fitness should be judged by law, not politics.
Key Takeaway
Apply a legal‑focused evaluation.
Themes
judicial integrity
politics
law
appointment
separation of powers
Mood
serious
analytical
Type
policy
legal
When to use this quote
- senate hearings
- nomination vetting
- public discourse
- legal analysis
Key Concepts
constitutional law
judicial philosophy
political neutrality
Questions to Reflect On
- How can we ensure truly non‑political evaluations?
- What safeguards protect judicial independence?
A Different Perspective
Political pressures can still influence perceptions of a judge’s impartiality.
![“We must apply a judicial rather than a political standard to the information before us [if choosing a Judge].” quote by Orrin Hatch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/96b/orrin-hatch-8786_ifs_we-must-apply-a-judicial-rather-than-a-p_1294847.jpg)
![“It is one thing to be subordinate to the laws, and another [for the Executive] to be dependent on the legislative body. The first comports with, the last violates, the fundamental principles of good government; and, whatever may be the forms of the Constitution, unites all power in the same hands.” quote by Alexander Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/be4/alexander-hamilton-619_body_it-is-one-thing-to-be-subordinate-to-the_129196.jpg)
![“Next came the Patent laws. These began in England in 1624; and, in this country, with the adoption of our constitution. Before then [these?], any man might instantly use what another had invented; so that the inventor had no special advantage from his own invention. The patent system changed this…” quote by Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/449/abraham-lincoln-88_adoption_next-came-the-patent-laws-these-began-in_1828.jpg)
