Supreme Court Quotes – Insights from the Highest Court in the Land

The Constitution does not just protect those whose views we share; it also protects those with whom we disagree. – Justice Samuel Alito

Equal justice under law is not merely a caption on the facade of the Supreme Court building, it is perhaps the most inspiring ideal of our society. – Justice Anthony Kennedy

Judicial power is not a tangible asset that we can lock up in a vault for safekeeping until we need it. – Justice Neil Gorsuch

The highest results in life are achieved only by those who have the courage to face criticism by greater persons. – Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.

The life of the law has not been logic; it has been experience. – Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.

Constitutional rights do not depend on the size of a person’s bank account. – Justice John Paul Stevens

In a society governed by the rule of law, the size of the fight does not determine the winner. – Justice Sonia Sotomayor

In the end, words matter. They shape our laws, they shape our society, they shape us. – Justice Elena Kagan

The Constitution is not an instrument for the government to restrain the people, it is an instrument for the people to restrain the government. – Justice Patrick Henry

The freedom to speak one’s mind is not only an aspect of individual liberty – and thus a good unto itself – but also is essential to the common quest for the truth and the vitality of society as a whole. – Justice Anthony Kennedy

Supreme Court Quotes – Insights from the Highest Court in the Land part 2

A state of war is not a blank check for the President when it comes to the rights of the Nation’s citizens. – Justice Sandra Day O’Connor

The judiciary must be conscious of the fact that it must never break its own bending stick. – Justice Thurgood Marshall

The measure of a society is how it treats its weakest members. – Justice Sonia Sotomayor

The door of history swings on small hinges, and thus its purpose is not found in our own time. – Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg

The First Amendment has erected a wall between church and state. That wall must be kept high and impregnable. – Justice Hugo Black

The power to tax involves the power to destroy. – Justice John Marshall

The power of the Executive to cast a man into prison without formulating any charge known to the law, and particularly to deny him the judgment of his peers, is in the highest degree odious and is the foundation of all totalitarian government whether Nazi or Communist. – Justice Robert H. Jackson

The Constitution is a document meant to protect people from the government. It isn’t there to protect the government from people. – Justice Hugo Black

Liberty exists in proportion to wholesome restraint. – Justice Edward Douglass White

We must hold strong to the belief that law, if not justice, is the foundation on which our civilization stands. – Chief Justice William Rehnquist

The law is not the private property of lawyers, nor is justice the exclusive province of judges and juries. In the final analysis, true justice is attained only through the informed judgment of free men and women who are not afraid to examine their own beliefs and question their own biases. – Justice Sandra Day O’Connor

We must always be open to the possibility that we may be wrong. – Justice Antonin Scalia

The search for truth in the courtroom cannot be divorced from the search for truth in the larger society. – Justice Thurgood Marshall

The highest court is not necessarily synonymous with the Supreme Court. – Justice Clarence Thomas

There is no fixed and formulaic answer to social dilemmas; a correct response requires a resolute and ethical judge to evaluate complex factors and chart a careful course. – Justice Stephen Breyer

The ultimate authority of the Constitution resides in the people alone. – Justice William H. Rehnquist

The framers of the Constitution knew that free speech is the friend of change and revolution. – Justice William O. Douglas

The judiciary, like any other co-equal branch of government, must respect the Constitution and act only within the limits set by its Framers. – Chief Justice John Roberts

We must think about how our actions will be viewed by future generations. – Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg

The Constitution is not a document that belongs to a different age. It is a living, timeless guide for our Republic. – Justice Neil Gorsuch

The law does not always provide us with the answers, but it does provide us with a framework for seeking justice. – Justice Elena Kagan

The Supreme Court may be the final arbiter of the law, but the people are the ultimate arbiters of their own destiny. – Justice Sonia Sotomayor

The Constitution is not a document that can be perfected once and for all. It must be interpreted and adapted to fit the realities of a changing society. – Justice Stephen Breyer

The rule of law means that we are all subject to the same laws, regardless of our status or power. – Justice Elena Kagan

We must strive to ensure that justice is blind, for without impartiality, the scales of justice will always be tipped in favor of the powerful. – Justice David Souter

A just society is one where the law applies equally to all, no matter their background or station in life. – Justice Clarence Thomas

The court cannot become a partisan institution that is driven by the prevailing political winds. – Chief Justice John Roberts

We cannot allow fear to undermine the principles of justice that our Constitution stands for. – Justice Thurgood Marshall

The Constitution protects the rights of individuals, not just the will of the majority. – Justice William Brennan Jr.

We must not forget the lessons of history, for they have the power to shape our future. – Justice John Paul Stevens

The Constitution is not a mere parchment; it is a living document that evolves with the times. – Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg

The power of the government rests in the hands of the people, and they must exercise their rights and responsibilities to ensure justice prevails. – Justice Neil Gorsuch

The law is a shield that protects the weak from the powerful, and it is our duty as justices to uphold that shield. – Justice Sonia Sotomayor

Justice requires that we not judge others based on their race, religion, or other factors that are beyond their control. – Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg

The Constitution is not a stagnant document; it is a living, breathing instrument that must be interpreted in light of the times. -Justice Elena Kagan