Thomas Jefferson Quote - Liberty Quotes Blog

"[T]o consider the judges as the ultimate arbiters of all constitutional questions ... would place us under the despotism of an oligarchy.

by:	Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826), US Founding Father, drafted the Declaration of Independence, 3rd US President
Source:	Letter to William C. Jarvis, September 28, 1820
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Categories:	Judiciary, Justice, Constitution, Despotism, Oligarchy
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Reader comments about this quote:

Welcome to Amerika - despotism by the oligarchy's gun. At common law (the originating jurisprudence), the County Sheriff sat as the head judge. Not in a judicial capacity but rather, in his official capacity to execute the civil or criminal rules of proceedure and keep order. The jurors were those that were to, in each case, judge the rules, law and facts. It was further given to the State's and "We The Peoples'" representatives to limit what the judiciary could hear; AND, if the judiciary misinterpreted the legislative intent, it is to legislators to correct the judiciary. -- Mike, Norwalk 1
Indeed! How can a single judge, out of hundreds, simply block an act of the Executive for nothing more than political reasons? The courts are OBVIOUSLY partisan, no less than Congress. There is no real judgement of the law, it is about power. Totalitarianism once affirmed by the Courts is the end of a republican form of government. -- E Archer, NYC 2
-- Jim K, Austin
The people in the end are the final arbiters and that's how it will always be, regardless of artificial intelligence and the oligarchy. -- Robert, Somewhere in the USA
A more involved community social investment by our elected officials, rejecting their obvious low self-esteem, would be of great assistance. -- Fredrick William Sillik, Anytown