Law Quotes | Beyond Motive 2/8

top of page

Law Quotes

"Who will protect the public when the police violate the law?"

"Who will protect the public when the police violate the law?"

Ramsey Clark, American Public Servant

Law, Police, Public, Will

42

"Where the law ends tyranny begins."

"Where the law ends tyranny begins."

Henry Fielding, English Novelist

42

"The laws and the stage, both are a form of exhibitionism."

"The laws and the stage, both are a form of exhibitionism."

Orson Welles, American Actor

42

"Liberty is the right to do what the law permits."

"Liberty is the right to do what the law permits."

Charles de Montesquieu, French Philosopher

Law, Liberty, Right

42

"That which is not just is not law."

"That which is not just is not law."

William Lloyd Garrison, American Journalist

42

"No man has ever yet been hanged for breaking the spirit of a law."

"No man has ever yet been hanged for breaking the spirit of a law."

Grover Cleveland, American President

Law, Man, Spirit

42

"Extreme law is often extreme injustice."

"Extreme law is often extreme injustice."

Terence, Roman Writer

Law, Extreme, Injustice

42

"The more corrupt the state, the more numerous the laws."

"The more corrupt the state, the more numerous the laws."

Tacitus, Roman Historian

Law, Laws, State

41

$"Every law is an infraction of liberty."$

"Every law is an infraction of liberty."

Jeremy Bentham, English Philosopher

41

"It is within the last quarter century or thirty years. And a lot of that law has turned out to be very, very protective of the press and the public's right to know."

"It is within the last quarter century or thirty years. And a lot of that law has turned out to be very, very protective of the press and the public's right to know."

Floyd Abrams, American Lawyer

Law, Press, Public, Right

41

"The police must obey the law while enforcing the law."

"The police must obey the law while enforcing the law."

Earl Warren, American Judge

41

"The law-abiding citizen by his labor serves both himself and his fellow man and thereby integrates himself peacefully into the social order. The robber, on the other hand, is intent, not on honest toil, but on the forcible appropriation of the fruits of others' labor."

"The law-abiding citizen by his labor serves both himself and his fellow man and thereby integrates himself peacefully into the social order. The robber, on the other hand, is intent, not on honest toil, but on the forcible appropriation of the fruits of others' labor."

Ludwig von Mises, Austrian Economist

Law, Ethics, Labor, Justice

41

"When the weather changes, nobody believes the laws of physics have changed. Similarly, I don't believe that when the stock market goes into terrible gyrations its rules have changed."

"When the weather changes, nobody believes the laws of physics have changed. Similarly, I don't believe that when the stock market goes into terrible gyrations its rules have changed."

Benoit Mandelbrot, French Mathematician

Law, Laws, Physics, Rules, Weather

41

"Law is king of all."

"Law is king of all."

Henry Alford, English Clergyman

40

"There is no law, divine or human, that the saloon respects."

"There is no law, divine or human, that the saloon respects."

Billy Sunday, American Clergyman

40

"I know no method to secure the repeal of bad or obnoxious laws so effective as their stringent execution."

"I know no method to secure the repeal of bad or obnoxious laws so effective as their stringent execution."

Ulysses S. Grant, American President

Law, Execution, Laws

40

"Civil liberty is the status of the man who is guaranteed by law and civil institutions the exclusive employment of all his own powers for his own welfare."

"Civil liberty is the status of the man who is guaranteed by law and civil institutions the exclusive employment of all his own powers for his own welfare."

William Graham Sumner, American Businessman

Law, Liberty, Man, Welfare

40

"For those broadcasters who are less than responsible, the FCC needs to have sharper teeth to enforce the law."

"For those broadcasters who are less than responsible, the FCC needs to have sharper teeth to enforce the law."

Fred Upton, American Politician

40

"The cold neutrality of an impartial judge."

"The cold neutrality of an impartial judge."

Edmund Burke, Irish Statesman

Law, Justice, Neutrality, Truth, Observation

40

"The trouble with law is lawyers."

"The trouble with law is lawyers."

Clarence Darrow, American Lawyer

Law, Lawyers, Trouble

40

"I couldn't do that as attorney general. Why? Because they are my clients. You can't say they're not doing what they ought to be doing when you are the attorney general."

"I couldn't do that as attorney general. Why? Because they are my clients. You can't say they're not doing what they ought to be doing when you are the attorney general."

Christine Gregoire, American Politician

40

"A judge is a law student who marks his own examination papers."

"A judge is a law student who marks his own examination papers."

H. L. Mencken, American Writer

Law, Examination

40

"I often heard about his cases and I often sat in on his trials. In the late 1960s when I was growing up I wanted to be a crusader like him but I didn't want to wear a suit and commute."

"I often heard about his cases and I often sat in on his trials. In the late 1960s when I was growing up I wanted to be a crusader like him but I didn't want to wear a suit and commute."

David Guterson, American Author

Law, Growingup, Trials, Want

39

"The moral law commands us to make the highest possible good in a world the final object of all our conduct."

"The moral law commands us to make the highest possible good in a world the final object of all our conduct."

Paul Ricoeur, French Philosopher

39

"The main foundations of every state, new states as well as ancient or composite ones, are good laws and good arms you cannot have good laws without good arms, and where there are good arms, good laws inevitably follow."

"The main foundations of every state, new states as well as ancient or composite ones, are good laws and good arms you cannot have good laws without good arms, and where there are good arms, good laws inevitably follow."

Niccolo Machiavelli, Italian Writer

Law, Laws, State, States

39

"The laws of probability, so true in general, so fallacious in particular."

"The laws of probability, so true in general, so fallacious in particular."

Edward Gibbon, English Historian

39

"Laws are the sovereigns of sovereigns."

"Laws are the sovereigns of sovereigns."

Louis XIV, French Royalty

39

"Man became free when he recognized that he was subject to law."

"Man became free when he recognized that he was subject to law."

Will Durant, American Historian

39

"Ninety percent of the members of the Academy of German Law were not members of the Party."

"Ninety percent of the members of the Academy of German Law were not members of the Party."

Hans Frank, German Public Servant

39

"The world presents enough problems if you believe it to be a world of law and order; do not add to them by believing it to be a world of miracles."

"The world presents enough problems if you believe it to be a world of law and order; do not add to them by believing it to be a world of miracles."

Louis D. Brandeis, American Judge

Law, Miracles, Order, Problems

39

"When the severity of the law is to be softened, let pity, not bribes, be the motive."

"When the severity of the law is to be softened, let pity, not bribes, be the motive."

Miguel de Cervantes, Spanish Novelist

Law, Motive, Pity

39

"Law is nothing unless close behind it stands a warm, living public opinion."

"Law is nothing unless close behind it stands a warm, living public opinion."

Wendell Phillips, American Activist

Law, Living, Nothing, Opinion

38

"On January 10, 1963, I was sworn in as a lawyer, so next January 10 I will have practiced law for 40 years, and I've loved every minute of it."

"On January 10, 1963, I was sworn in as a lawyer, so next January 10 I will have practiced law for 40 years, and I've loved every minute of it."

Johnnie Cochran, American Lawyer

Law, Will, Years

38

"The Law is one aspect of a much more concrete and encompassing relation than the relation between commanding and obeying that characterizes the imperative."

"The Law is one aspect of a much more concrete and encompassing relation than the relation between commanding and obeying that characterizes the imperative."

Paul Ricoeur, French Philosopher

38

"Next, we will create a modern immigration law."

"Next, we will create a modern immigration law."

Gerhard Schroder, German Statesman

38

"I knew quite well, when I gave the names of our agents in the Soviet Union, that I was exposing them to the full machinery of counterespionage and the law, and then prosecution and capital punishment."

"I knew quite well, when I gave the names of our agents in the Soviet Union, that I was exposing them to the full machinery of counterespionage and the law, and then prosecution and capital punishment."

Aldrich Ames, American Criminal

Law, Names, Punishment

38

"Law shuttles between freeing us and enslaving us."

"Law shuttles between freeing us and enslaving us."

Kary Mullis, American Scientist

37

"It's a lot easier to see, at least in some cases, what the long-term limits of the possible will be, because they depend on natural law. But it's much harder to see just what path we will follow in heading toward those limits."

"It's a lot easier to see, at least in some cases, what the long-term limits of the possible will be, because they depend on natural law. But it's much harder to see just what path we will follow in heading toward those limits."

K. Eric Drexler, American Scientist

Law, Limits, Will

37

"The aim of law is the maximum gratification of the nervous system of man."

"The aim of law is the maximum gratification of the nervous system of man."

Learned Hand, American Judge

37

"Be peaceful, be courteous, obey the law, respect everyone; but if someone puts his hand on you, send him to the cemetery."

"Be peaceful, be courteous, obey the law, respect everyone; but if someone puts his hand on you, send him to the cemetery."

Malcolm X, American Activist

37

"When law becomes despotic, morals are relaxed, and vice versa."

"When law becomes despotic, morals are relaxed, and vice versa."

Honore de Balzac, French Novelist

Law, Morals, Vice

37

"At least half the mystery novels published violate the law that the solution, once revealed, must seem to be inevitable."

"At least half the mystery novels published violate the law that the solution, once revealed, must seem to be inevitable."

Raymond Chandler, American Writer

Law, Mystery, Solution

37

"When the state is most corrupt, then the laws are most multiplied."

"When the state is most corrupt, then the laws are most multiplied."

Tacitus, Roman Historian

Law, Laws, State

36

"Law is a very addictive profession."

"Law is a very addictive profession."

George Carman, English Lawyer

Law, Profession

36

"There are a lot of things you can do with a law degree background, but I just didn't have a passion for it."

"There are a lot of things you can do with a law degree background, but I just didn't have a passion for it."

Matthew McGrory, American Actor

36

"It cannot be assumed that equity was following common law whenever they agreed, any more than the converse."

"It cannot be assumed that equity was following common law whenever they agreed, any more than the converse."

Frederick Pollock, English Judge

36

"What we seek is the reign of law, based upon the consent of the governed and sustained by the organized opinion of mankind."

"What we seek is the reign of law, based upon the consent of the governed and sustained by the organized opinion of mankind."

Woodrow Wilson, American President

Law, Mankind, Opinion

36

"Law is the essential foundation of stability and order both within societies and in international relations."

"Law is the essential foundation of stability and order both within societies and in international relations."

J. William Fulbright, American Politician

Law, Order, Stability

36

"The current constitutional law places the president of the republic in an embarrassing situation."

"The current constitutional law places the president of the republic in an embarrassing situation."

Jose Eduardo Dos Santos, Angolan Statesman

36

"One of my contemporaries, a colorless chap who worked much harder at his law studies, is now Prime Minister."

"One of my contemporaries, a colorless chap who worked much harder at his law studies, is now Prime Minister."

Alex Cox, British Director

36

bottom of page