Algernon Sidney Quotes

That which is not just is not law.

Anyone who takes it upon himself ... to break a bad law, thereby authorizes everyone else to break the good ones.

Nothing is so faulty as those laws which correct faults. He who obeys them because they are just obeys a justice which is imaginary and not the essence of law; it is quite self-contained, it is law and nothing more.

Law is not law, if it violates the principles of eternal justice.

All human laws are, properly speaking, only declaratory; they have no power over the substance of original justice.

There is respect for law, and then there is complicity in lawlessness.

Obedience to the law is itself a moral duty.

Law and Equity [justice] which God hath joined, but which man has put asunder.

The law is the public conscience.

There is such a thing as justice which is not necessarily the same thing as law.

If a law doesn’t produce a just result, then what good is it? …. If you don’t have a just result, then the law doesn’t matter.

We respect law, when the law respects our needs. Whenever legality clashes with morality, legality should be opposed and morality should be upheld.

There are unjust laws as there are unjust men.

Legislation may at times be disobeyed, but never law, for the breaking brings swift punishment of its own.

One with the law is a majority.

Justice is the first virtue of those who command, and stops the complaints of those who obey.

It is true that legality is not morality, and sticking to the law is necessary for good citizenship, but it is not sufficient.

When your conscience says law is immoral, don't follow it.

Good men must not obey the laws too well.

If a law commands me to sin I will break it; if it calls me to suffer, I will let it take its course unresistingly.

Much law, but little justice.

Let us consider the reason of the case. For nothing is law that is not reason.

Much law, but no justice.

Where there are the most laws, there is the most injustice. Summum jus, summa injuria.

Since all people do not do their duty and some, on the contrary, commit injustices, for the sake of keeping order in society, injustices and all enterprises against this order must be repressed: which was possible only through authority given to some over others, and which made government necessary.