William Murray Quotes

The purpose of a written constitution is to bind up the several branches of government by certain laws, which, when they transgress, their acts shall become nullities; to render unnecessary an appeal to the people, or in other words a rebellion, on every infraction of their rights, on the peril that their acquiescence shall be construed into an intention to surrender those rights.

The [English] constitution does not allow reasons of state to influence our [the judges] judgement. God forbid that it should. We must not regard political consequences, however formidable they may be.

We are a constitutional democracy. We must deal with things properly within the framework of the law and then the constitution.

The constitution is the ultimate custodian of social will and its making should be accorded all due diligence.

The constitution is a sacred document in a democracy.

The constitution of the United States is a law for rulers and people, equally in war and in peace, and covers with the shield of its protection all classes of men, at all times, and under all circumstances.

The Constitution is government's stop sign. It says, you - the three branches of government - can go so far and no farther.

The real difference between the United States and other nations lies not in the words of the preamble to the Constitution, but in the fact that the substantive clauses of that Constitution are enforced by individuals independent of and not beholden to the elected branches.

The submission of free people to the executive authority of government, is no more than a compliance with laws which they themselves have enacted.

The Supreme Court is the living voice of the Constitution—that is, of the will of the people expressed in the fundamental law they have enacted. It is ... the conscience of the people.... It is the guarantee of the minority who, when threatened by the impatient vehemence of the majority, can appeal to this permanent law, finding the interpreter and enforcer thereof in a Court set high above the assaults of faction.

We live in a democracy which can be destroyed if judges function as Platonic guardians.

The people made the Constitution, and the people can unmake it. It is the creature of their will, and lives only by their will.

… an empire of laws and not of men.

In England Parliament is above the law. In America the law is above Congress.

The least we can do is to respect the Constitution because that's the foundation on which our republic is built. If you give the Constitution the go-by, your republic will be under stress.

There are checks and balances and broad separation of powers under the Constitution. Each organ of the State, i.e. the legislature, the executive and the judiciary, must have respect for the others and not encroach into each other's domain.

A federal judge did as he was supposed to do and upheld the Constitution. We should be thankful that we have judiciary that will do that.

Laws are important precisely because in a democracy they reflect the attitudes and aspirations of those they govern.

Laws and constitutions ought to be weighed... to constitute that which is most conducing to the establishment of justice and liberty.

Popularity makes no law invulnerable to invalidation. Americans accept judicial supervision of their democracy - judicial review of popular but possibly unconstitutional statutes - because they know that if the Constitution is truly to constitute the nation, it must trump some majority preferences.

Public officers are the servants and agents of the people, to execute the laws which the people have made.

And therefore, every subject of this realme, for injury done to … by any other subject, be he ecclesiasticall, or temporall, free, or bond, man, or woman, old, or young, or be he outlawed, excommunicated, or any other without exception, may take his remedy by the course of the law, and have justice, and right for the injury done to him, freely without sale, fully without any deniall, and speedily without delay.

The framers of our Constitution thought it was of critical, critical importance, in establishing three branches of government, that we have an independent judiciary. Therefore was that without that, the provisions of the constitution couldn’t be enforced

The constitution shall be made, or we will cease to be

To what purpose are powers limited, and to what purpose is that limitation committed to writing; if those limits may, at any time, be passed by those intended to be restrained? If the Constitution is alterable when the legislature shall please to alter it, ... then written constitutions are absurd attempts, on the part of the people, to limit a power in its nature illimitable