Joseph R. Biden Jr. Quotes

The appointment of judges to the higher judiciary cannot be the sole domain of a few members of the higher judiciary. This turf must be shared.

If you take the cameras out of the courtroom, then you hide a certain measure of truth from the public.

We have a right to know and a duty to discover what you think of the great constitutional issues of our time.

Self government cannot work if the people do not know what their rulers are doing and why.

Transparency and the rule of law will be the touchstones of this presidency.

I don't think there should be a litmus test on judges, no matter who the president is.

Appointments to the higher judiciary must be through transparent processes, which ensure that persons of impeccable integrity and high competence are appointed to these positions.

Secret courts require great faith that the Justice Department - and future Justice Departments - will act with integrity.

I've long favored smart judicial-selection reform - every member of my court does - and every legislative session, reform measures are filed... and then they fail.

I think the people should demand accountability on the voting. I think there's no point in voting if you're not gonna demand fairness and be able to verify each vote. And other countries can do this fairly easily. So I don't think you really want democracy if you're not willing to take that first step.

The Constitution empowers the people to resolve our day's most contentious issues. When judges forget this basic truth, they do a disservice to our democracy and to our constitution.

Rule of law, access to justice, and financial transparency happen by design, not accident.

If you know something damaging about a major political figure, then, in a democracy, it is surely your duty to tell the voters before they go to the polls.

Do we have the right to understand the world we live in? The right to all the information regarding why our governments are making the decisions that they are?

If we cannot share aspects of our secret work with the public, we should do so with their elected representatives. For CIA oversight is a vital link to the open society we defend. It's a defining feature of the U.S. intelligence community and one of the many things that distinguishes us from the hostile services we face in the field.

Truth matters. Checks and balances matter.

When the people's representatives have to go on record and vote, it transforms our country. It is a full recognition that we are in a state of war.

As a senator, I will prioritize overturning the current system and restoring openness and integrity to our government to return power to the people.

Free media is very essential for the democratic process and... development.

The judiciary wields enormous power but is utterly mysterious to most Americans. People know more about 'American Idol' judges than Supreme Court judges. Done right, social media is a high-octane tool to boost civic awareness.

Even if you assume presidents were democratically elected they still have no right to keep secrets from the American people.

There should be many judges, for few will always do the will of few.

In the justice system, we say there must be open justice where there is to be justice. The judged while trying must themselves be tried before the public.

While people are free to draw different conclusions from the facts, there should be no debate over whether the American public is entitled to have all of the facts.

Rights are either God-given or evolve out of the democratic process. Most rights are based on the ability of people to agree on a social contract, the ability to make and keep agreements.