Law Quotes | Beyond Motive

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Law Quotes

"The law must be stable, but it must not stand still."

"The law must be stable, but it must not stand still."

Roscoe Pound, American Lawyer

348

"Bad laws are the worst sort of tyranny."

"Bad laws are the worst sort of tyranny."

Edmund Burke, Irish Statesman

Law, Laws, Tyranny

149

"Each investigation team has a lawyer attached to it and there was a lawyer attached to me and my assistant."

"Each investigation team has a lawyer attached to it and there was a lawyer attached to me and my assistant."

Tony Greig, South African Athlete

Law, Investigation

141

"It doesn't make sense for me to be a lawyer in a place where there is no law."

"It doesn't make sense for me to be a lawyer in a place where there is no law."

Ruben Blades, Panamanian Musician

140

"Yes, I was going to law school and it was closed in '69."

"Yes, I was going to law school and it was closed in '69."

Ruben Blades, Panamanian Musician

139

"The acknowledged legislators of the world take the world as given. They dislike mysteries, for mysteries cannot be coded, or legislated, and wonder cannot be made into law. And so these legislators police the accepted frontiers of things."

"The acknowledged legislators of the world take the world as given. They dislike mysteries, for mysteries cannot be coded, or legislated, and wonder cannot be made into law. And so these legislators police the accepted frontiers of things."

Ben Okri, Nigerian Poet

Law, Legislators, Police, Wonder

129

"Written laws are like spiders' webs, and will, like them, only entangle and hold the poor and weak, while the rich and powerful will easily break through them."

"Written laws are like spiders' webs, and will, like them, only entangle and hold the poor and weak, while the rich and powerful will easily break through them."

Anacharsis, Scythian Philosopher

Law, Laws, Poor, Spiders, Will

113

"Who to himself is law, no law doth need, offends no law, and is a king indeed."

"Who to himself is law, no law doth need, offends no law, and is a king indeed."

George Chapman, English Poet

106

"We are here, not because we are law-breakers; we are here in our efforts to become law-makers."

"We are here, not because we are law-breakers; we are here in our efforts to become law-makers."

Emmeline Pankhurst, English Activist

69

"Shame may restrain what law does not prohibit."

"Shame may restrain what law does not prohibit."

Seneca, Roman Philosopher

Law, May, Shame

62

"It always takes longer than you expect, even if you take Hofstadter's Law into account."

"It always takes longer than you expect, even if you take Hofstadter's Law into account."

Douglas Hofstadter, American Writer

61

"And that was what I was asking to happen and I was told that the indictment would be signed, but I was coming to the end of my one-year contract, I had to return to New Zealand for personal reasons."

"And that was what I was asking to happen and I was told that the indictment would be signed, but I was coming to the end of my one-year contract, I had to return to New Zealand for personal reasons."

Tony Greig, South African Athlete

60

"In Vietnam we have no political prisoners. No one is arrested or jailed for his or her speech or point of view. They are put in jail because they violated the law."

"In Vietnam we have no political prisoners. No one is arrested or jailed for his or her speech or point of view. They are put in jail because they violated the law."

Nong Duc Manh, Vietnamese Politician

Law, Speech, Vietnam

59

"Useless laws weaken the necessary laws."

"Useless laws weaken the necessary laws."

Charles de Montesquieu, French Philosopher

59

"We are a nation of immigrants, but we are also a nation of laws."

"We are a nation of immigrants, but we are also a nation of laws."

Elton Gallegly, American Politician

Law, Laws, Nation

58

"Law never is, but is always about to be."

"Law never is, but is always about to be."

Benjamin Cardozo, American Judge

58

"You have undertaken to cheat me. I won't sue you, for the law is too slow. I'll ruin you."

"You have undertaken to cheat me. I won't sue you, for the law is too slow. I'll ruin you."

Cornelius Vanderbilt, American Businessman

58

"There is no question but that the laws and principles which Solon laid down both foreshadowed and prepared the way for all republics of later ages, including our own."

"There is no question but that the laws and principles which Solon laid down both foreshadowed and prepared the way for all republics of later ages, including our own."

Robert Welch, American Silversmith

Law, Laws, Principles, Question

57

"Some laws are wrong, and we have an obligation to speak out against those laws wherever they are."

"Some laws are wrong, and we have an obligation to speak out against those laws wherever they are."

Julian McMahon, Australian Actor

Law, Laws, Obligation, Wrong

57

"I don't make political statements; let's all have a laugh. Let's all live and be free. I try and live to the letter of the law, but right on the edge of it."

"I don't make political statements; let's all have a laugh. Let's all live and be free. I try and live to the letter of the law, but right on the edge of it."

Mark Roberts, American Actor

56

"The market tends to pay as a wage what an individual laborer is worth. But the case last studied suggests the question how accurately the law operates in practice. May it not be an honest law, but be so vitiated in its working as to give a dishonest result?"

"The market tends to pay as a wage what an individual laborer is worth. But the case last studied suggests the question how accurately the law operates in practice. May it not be an honest law, but be so vitiated in its working as to give a dishonest result?"

John Bates Clark, American Economist

Law, May, Practice, Question

55

"The law works in mysterious ways."

"The law works in mysterious ways."

Kenneth Eade, American Author

Law, Mystery, Uncertainty, Governance

54

"Software is like entropy. It is difficult to grasp, weighs nothing, and obeys the second law of thermodynamics; i.e. it always increases."

"Software is like entropy. It is difficult to grasp, weighs nothing, and obeys the second law of thermodynamics; i.e. it always increases."

Norman Ralph Augustine, American Author

Law, Nothing, Software

53

"They that possess the prince possess the laws."

"They that possess the prince possess the laws."

John Dryden, English Poet

52

"Two things awe me most, the starry sky above me and the moral law within me."

"Two things awe me most, the starry sky above me and the moral law within me."

Immanuel Kant, German Philosopher

52

"The shallow consider liberty a release from all law, from every constraint. The wise man sees in it, on the contrary, the potent Law of Laws."

"The shallow consider liberty a release from all law, from every constraint. The wise man sees in it, on the contrary, the potent Law of Laws."

Walt Whitman, American Poet

Law, Laws, Liberty, Man

51

"You must obey the law, always, not only when they grab you by your special place."

"You must obey the law, always, not only when they grab you by your special place."

Vladimir Putin, Russian Statesman

51

"To live outside the law, you must be honest."

"To live outside the law, you must be honest."

Bob Dylan, American Musician

50

"It ain't no sin if you crack a few laws now and then, just so long as you don't break any."

"It ain't no sin if you crack a few laws now and then, just so long as you don't break any."

Mae West, American Actress

Law, Laws, Now, Sin

50

"I am very pro law enforcement."

"I am very pro law enforcement."

Robert Stack, American Actor

49

"It's a brooding melancholy that haunts me."

"It's a brooding melancholy that haunts me."

David Guterson, American Author

Law, Melancholy

49

"Ideological warriors whether from the Left or the Right are bad news for the bench. They tend to make law, not interpret law. And that's not what any of us should want from our judges."

"Ideological warriors whether from the Left or the Right are bad news for the bench. They tend to make law, not interpret law. And that's not what any of us should want from our judges."

Charles Schumer, American Politician

Law, Judges, News, Right

48

"Where there are laws, he who has not broken them need not tremble."

"Where there are laws, he who has not broken them need not tremble."

Vittorio Alfieri, Italian Dramatist

Law, Laws, Italiian

48

"It is even possible that laws which have not their origin in the mind may be irrational, and we can never succeed in formulating them."

"It is even possible that laws which have not their origin in the mind may be irrational, and we can never succeed in formulating them."

Arthur Eddington, British Scientist

Law, Laws, May, Mind, Succeed

47

"All laws are an attempt to domesticate the natural ferocity of the species."

"All laws are an attempt to domesticate the natural ferocity of the species."

John W. Gardner, American Educator

47

"A liberty subject to law and subordinate to the common welfare."

"A liberty subject to law and subordinate to the common welfare."

Bainbridge Colby, American Public Servant

Law, Liberty, Welfare

46

"The rules of war for federal court were contained in the 86 rules of federal civil procedure, the rules of the local federal court, and the courtroom rules of the particular federal judge."

"The rules of war for federal court were contained in the 86 rules of federal civil procedure, the rules of the local federal court, and the courtroom rules of the particular federal judge."

Kenneth Eade, American Author

Law, Rules, Order, Justice

46

"But the law is an odd thing. For instance, one country in Europe has a law that requires all its bakers to sell bread at the exact same price. A certain island has a law that forbids anyone from removing its fruit. And a town not too far from where you live has a law that bars me from coming within five miles of its borders."

"But the law is an odd thing. For instance, one country in Europe has a law that requires all its bakers to sell bread at the exact same price. A certain island has a law that forbids anyone from removing its fruit. And a town not too far from where you live has a law that bars me from coming within five miles of its borders."

Lemony Snicket, American Author

Law, Justice, Culture, Irony

46

"A state is better governed which has few laws, and those laws strictly observed."

"A state is better governed which has few laws, and those laws strictly observed."

Rene Descartes, French Mathematician

Law, Laws, State

45

"The Ten Commandments are the divinely revealed law."

"The Ten Commandments are the divinely revealed law."

Roy Moore, American Judge

45

"This is a court of law, young man, not a court of justice."

"This is a court of law, young man, not a court of justice."

Oliver Holmes, Jr., American Judge

Law, Court, Justice, Man

45

"No, I think that we've got a basic discrepancy here between the rule of law versus the rule of man."

"No, I think that we've got a basic discrepancy here between the rule of law versus the rule of man."

Roy Moore, American Judge

45

"An unjust law is itself a species of violence. Arrest for its breach is more so."

"An unjust law is itself a species of violence. Arrest for its breach is more so."

Mahatma Gandhi, Indian Leader

44

"The Harvard Law states: Under controlled conditions of light, temperature, humidity, and nutrition, the organism will do as it damn well pleases."

"The Harvard Law states: Under controlled conditions of light, temperature, humidity, and nutrition, the organism will do as it damn well pleases."

Larry Wall, Canadian Author

Law, Light, Will

44

"It is impossible for us to break the law. We can only break ourselves against the law."

"It is impossible for us to break the law. We can only break ourselves against the law."

Cecil B. DeMille, American Producer

44

"The law is immoral."

"The law is immoral."

Mark Thomas, British Comedian

44

"We have a law that allows us to establish charter schools here in this state. We ought to get going on it."

"We have a law that allows us to establish charter schools here in this state. We ought to get going on it."

Craig Benson, American Politician

Law, Schools, State

44

"Judges should interpret the law, not make it."

"Judges should interpret the law, not make it."

Lamar S. Smith, American Politician

44

"When we were making the law, when we were writing the literature and the mathematics the grandfarthers of Blair and little Bush were scratching around in caves."

"When we were making the law, when we were writing the literature and the mathematics the grandfarthers of Blair and little Bush were scratching around in caves."

Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf, Iraqi Public Servant

Law, Literature, Mathematics, Writing

44

"Let a bill, or law, be read, in the one branch or the other, every one instantly thinks how it will affect his constituents."

"Let a bill, or law, be read, in the one branch or the other, every one instantly thinks how it will affect his constituents."

Ezra Stiles, American Clergyman

43

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