In the same degree that we overrate ourselves, we shall underrate others; for injustice allowed at home is not likely to be correct abroad.
—Washington Allston (1779–1843) American Poet, Painter
Ofttimes nothing profits more than self-esteem, grounded on just and right well manag’d.
—John Milton (1608–74) English Poet, Civil Servant, Scholar, Debater
Justice is incidental to law and order.
—J. Edgar Hoover (1895–1972) American Lawyer, Government Official
I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just; that his justice cannot sleep forever.
—Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826) American Head of State, Lawyer
Objective evidence and certitude are doubtless very fine ideals to play with, but where on this moonlit and dream-visited planet are they found?
—William James (1842–1910) American Philosopher, Psychologist, Physician
It is not possible to found a lasting power upon injustice, perjury, and treachery.
—Demosthenes (384–322 BCE) Greek Statesman, Orator
It is a maxim among these lawyers, that whatever hath been done before, may legally be done again: and therefore they take special care to record all the decisions formerly made against common justice and the general reason of mankind.
—Jonathan Swift (1667–1745) Irish Satirist
Many laws as certainly make bad men, as bad men make many laws.
—Walter Savage Landor (1775–1864) English Writer, Poet
He who is only just is cruel.—Who on earth could live were all judged justly?
—Lord Byron (George Gordon Byron) (1788–1824) English Romantic Poet
The more laws and order are made prominent, the more thieves and robbers there will be.
—Laozi (fl.6th Century BCE) Chinese Philosopher, Sage
Many that live deserve death. And some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgment. For even the very wise cannot see all ends.
—J. R. R. Tolkien (1892–1973) British Scholar, Author
To be right with God has often meant to be in trouble with men.
—A. W. Tozer (1897–1963) American Christian Pastor, Preacher, Author, Editor
Hunger makes a thief of any man.
—Pearl S. Buck (1892–1973) American Novelist, Human Rights Activist
Justice is the great and simple principle which is the secret of success in all government, as essential to the training of an infant, as to the control of a mighty nation.
—William Gilmore Simms (1806–70) American Poet, Novelist, Historian
The houses of lawyers are roofed with the skins of litigants.
—Welsh Proverb
Laws are spider webs through which the big flies pass and the little ones get caught.
—Honore de Balzac (1799–1850) French Novelist
The hungry judges soon the sentence sign, and wretches hang that jurymen may dine.
—Alexander Pope (1688–1744) English Poet
Only a kind person is able to judge another justly and to make allowances for his weaknesses. A kind eye, while recognizing defects, sees beyond them.
—Lawrence G. Lovasik
Law: the only game where the best players get to sit on the bench.
—Unknown
It is just as cowardly to judge an absent person as it is wicked to strike a defenseless one. Only the ignorant and narrow-minded gossip, for they speak of persons instead of things.
—Lawrence G. Lovasik
Poverty is the mother of crime.
—Marcus Aurelius (121–180) Emperor of Rome, Stoic Philosopher
Every crime is born of necessity. If you want less crime, you must change the conditions. Poverty makes crime. Want, rags, crusts, misfortune – all these awake the wild beast in man, and finally he takes, and takes contrary to law, and becomes a criminal. And what do you do with him? You punish him. Why not punish a man for having consumption? The time will come when you will see that that is just as logical. What do you do with the criminal? You send him to the penitentiary. Is he made better? Worse. The first thing you do is to try to trample out his manhood, by putting an indignity upon him. You mark him. You put him in stripes. At night you put him in darkness. His feeling for revenge grows. You make a wild beast of him, and he comes out of that place branded in body and soul, and then you won’t let him reform if he wants to.
—Robert G. Ingersoll (1833–99) American Lawyer, Orator, Agnostic
Judges ought to be more learned than witty, more reverent than plausible, and more advised than confident. Above all things, integrity is their portion and proper virtue.
—Francis Bacon (1561–1626) English Philosopher
If you judge people, you have no time to love them.
—Mother Teresa (1910–97) Roman Catholic Missionary, Nun
Thy neighbor’s property must be as sacred to thee as thine own.
—The Talmud Sacred Text of the Jewish Faith
The most effective way to restrict democracy is to transfer decision-making rom the public arena to unaccountable institutions: kings and princes, riestly castes, military juntas, party dictatorships, or modern orporations.
—Noam Chomsky (b.1928) American Linguist, Social Critic
God gives manhood but one clue to success, utter and exact justice; that, he guarantees, shall be always expediency.
—Wendell Phillips (1811–84) American Abolitionist, Lawyer, Orator
When the laws are written and administered by the most powerful leaders in a society, it is human nature for them to understand, justify, and protect the interests of themselves and people like them. Many injustices arise from this natural human failing.
—Jimmy Carter (b.1924) American Head of State, Military Leader
The United States is a nation of laws: badly written and randomly enforced.
—Frank Zappa (1940–93) American Rock Guitarist, Singer, Composer
The probability that we may fall in the struggle ought not to deter us from the support of a cause we believe to be just; it shall not deter me.
—Abraham Lincoln (1809–65) American Head of State
God will not permit any troubles to come upon us, unless He has a specific plan by which great blessing can come out of the difficulty.
—Peter Marshall
Men fight for freedom, then they begin to accumulate laws to take it away from themselves.
—Unknown
No accurate thinker will judge another person by that which the other person’s enemies say about him.
—Napoleon Hill (1883–1970) American Author, Journalist, Attorney, Lecturer
I am somehow less interested in the weight and convolutions of Einstein’s rain than in the near certainty that people of equal talent have lived and ied in cotton fields and sweatshops.
—Stephen Jay Gould (1941–2002) American Paleontologist
Justice is the crowning glory of the virtues.
—Cicero (106BCE–43BCE) Roman Philosopher, Orator, Politician, Lawyer
Write that down, the King said to the jury, and the jury eagerly wrote down all three dates on their slates, and then added them up, and reduced the answer to shillings and pence.
—Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (Lewis Carroll) (1832–98) British Anglican Author, Mathematician, Clergyman, Photographer, Logician
The foundation of justice is good faith.
—Cicero (106BCE–43BCE) Roman Philosopher, Orator, Politician, Lawyer
The aim of justice is to give everyone his due.
—Cicero (106BCE–43BCE) Roman Philosopher, Orator, Politician, Lawyer
You mortals, the Lord has told you what is good.
This is what the Lord requires from you:
to do what is right,
to love mercy,
and to live humbly with your God.
—The Holy Bible Scripture in the Christian Faith
Justice while she winks at crimes, Stumbles on innocence sometimes.
—Samuel Butler
Hear my voice, O God, in my prayer; preserve my life from fear of the enemy.
—The Holy Bible Scripture in the Christian Faith
Justice without wisdom is impossible.
—James Anthony Froude (1818–94) British Historian, Novelist, Biographer, Editor
Iron till it be thoroughly heated is incapable to be wrought; so God sees good to cast some men into the furnace of affliction, and then beats them on his anvil into what frame he pleases.
—Anne Bradstreet (1612–72) American Poet
If thou desire rest unto thy soul, be just.—He that doth no injury, fears not to suffer injury; the unjust mind is always in labor; it either practises the evil it hath projected, or projects to avoid the evil it hath deserved.
—Francis Quarles (1592–1644) English Religious Poet
Justice discards party, friendship, and kindred, and is therefore represented as blind.
—Joseph Addison (1672–1719) English Essayist, Poet, Playwright, Politician
He who spares the bad injures the good.
—Publilius Syrus (fl.85–43 BCE) Syrian-born Roman Latin Writer
The weakest arm is strong enough, that strikes
With the sword of justice.
—John Webster (1580–1634) English Dramatist, Poet
When a man is just and firm in his purpose,
The citizens burning to approve a wrong
Or the frowning looks of a tyrant
Do not shake his fixed mind, nor the Southwind.
Wild lord of the uneasy Adriatic,
Nor the thunder in the mighty hand of Jove:
Should the heavens crack and tumble down,
As the ruins crushed him he would not fear.
—Horace (Quintus Horatius Flaccus) (65–8 BCE) Roman Poet
Those terrifying verbal jungles called laws are simply such directives, accumulated, codified, and systematized through the centuries.
—S. I. Hayakawa (1906–92) Canadian-born American Academic, Elected Rep, Politician
The penalty for laughing in a courtroom is six months in jail; if it were not for this penalty, the jury would never hear the evidence.
—H. L. Mencken (1880–1956) American Journalist, Literary Critic