“[W]e have a Supreme Court, like yours, which, since we put a charter of rights in our constitution in 1982, is becoming increasingly arbitrary and important. It is also appointed by the Prime Minister. Unlike your Supreme Court, we have no ratification process.”

—  Stephen Harper

1990s, Speech to the Council for National Policy (1997)

Adopted from Wikiquote. Last update June 3, 2021. History

Help us to complete the source, original and additional information

Do you have more details about the quote "[W]e have a Supreme Court, like yours, which, since we put a charter of rights in our constitution in 1982, is becoming…" by Stephen Harper?
Stephen Harper photo
Stephen Harper70
22nd Prime Minister of Canada 1959

Related quotes

Howard Dean photo

“The president and his right-wing Supreme Court think it is 'okay' to have the government take your house if they feel like putting a hotel where your house is.”

Howard Dean (1948) American political activist

Speech to College Democrats http://www.townhall.com/news/politics/200507/POL20050725a.shtml&e=10401, July 29, 2005

Anthony Kennedy photo

“The Supreme Court of Florida has said that the legislature intended the State's electors to "participat[e] fully in the federal electoral process," as provided in 3 U. S. C. §5. That statute, in turn, requires that any controversy or contest that is designed to lead to a conclusive selection of electors be completed by December 12. That date is upon us, and there is no recount procedure in place under the State Supreme Court's order that comports with minimal constitutional standards. Because it is evident that any recount seeking to meet the December 12 date will be unconstitutional for the reasons we have discussed, we reverse the judgment of the Supreme Court of Florida ordering a recount to proceed. Seven Justices of the Court agree that there are constitutional problems with the recount ordered by the Florida Supreme Court that demand a remedy.”

Anthony Kennedy (1936) Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States

Bush v. Gore, 531 U.S. 98 http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/scripts/getcase.pl?court=US&vol=000&invol=00-949 (12 December 2000).

Rick Santorum photo

“We have laws in states, like the one at the Supreme Court right now, that has sodomy laws and they were there for a purpose. Because, again, I would argue, they undermine the basic tenets of our society and the family. And if the Supreme Court says that you have the right to consensual sex within your home, then you have the right to bigamy, you have the right to polygamy, you have the right to incest, you have the right to adultery. You have the right to anything. Does that undermine the fabric of our society? I would argue yes, it does.”

Rick Santorum (1958) American politician

William H. Rehnquist photo

“An oft-heard description of the Supreme Court is that it is the ultimate protector in our society of the liberties of the individual. This phrase describes an important role of the Supreme Court, but by ignoring other equally important functions of the Court, it has a potential for mischief.”

William H. Rehnquist (1924–2005) Chief Justice of the United States

The Supreme Court: How it Was, How it Is (1987).
Books, articles, and speeches
Context: An oft-heard description of the Supreme Court is that it is the ultimate protector in our society of the liberties of the individual. This phrase describes an important role of the Supreme Court, but by ignoring other equally important functions of the Court, it has a potential for mischief. It is a fairly short leap from this language to a feeling that the US Constitution is somehow "vindicated" every time a claim of individual right against government is upheld, and is not vindicated whenever such a claim is not upheld. But this, of course, cannot be the case. The role of the Supreme Court is to uphold those claims of individual liberty that it finds are well-founded in the Constitution, and to reject other claims against the government that it concludes are not well-founded. Its role is no more to exclusively uphold the claims of the individual than it is to exclusively uphold the claims of the government: It must hold the constitutional balance true between these claims.

“It is important for the Supreme Court itself to engage in self-criticism, self-awareness, self-assessment to address the loss of confidence of the people in the Supreme Court. That is where our salvation lies.”

Folake Solanke (1932) Nigerian lawyer

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6lqx-jLCac Folake Solanke speaks on the Supreme Court of Nigeria.

Laurence Tribe photo

“[M]uch of what our Supreme Court does involves filling in the "great silences of the Constitution"...”

Laurence Tribe (1941) American lawyer and law school professor

Soundings and Silences (2016)

“If anything goes wrong with the Supreme Court, we are in trouble. If anything goes wrong with the court, we are in trouble.”

Folake Solanke (1932) Nigerian lawyer

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6lqx-jLCac Folake Solanke speaks on the Supreme Court of Nigeria.

Harry Truman photo

“And as I say to you, whenever you put a man on the Supreme Court, he ceases to be your friend, you can be sure of that.”

Harry Truman (1884–1972) American politician, 33rd president of the United States (in office from 1945 to 1953)

Reported in Truman Speaks (1960), p. 59.

James Eastland photo

“Today, however, a trend away from traditional standards of propriety begins to be in evidence. Our Court has been indoctrinated and brainwashed by left-wing pressure groups. The Court is out of step with the American people. We see Justices of the Supreme Court banqueted and honored by left-wing Communist-front organizations militantly interested in legislation on which the Supreme Court must pass.”

James Eastland (1904–1986) American politician

Congressional Record https://books.google.fr/books?id=WhPOxPiWV2YC&amp;q=%22indoctrinated+and+brainwashed+by+left-wing+pressure+groups.%22&amp;dq=%22indoctrinated+and+brainwashed+by+left-wing+pressure+groups.%22&amp;hl=fr&amp;sa=X&amp;ved=0ahUKEwjiodS__tjkAhWLnhQKHSqcBdoQ6AEIcjAJ, 1956 <br class="br">1950s

Jair Bolsonaro photo

“The state is secular, but we are Christians. We respect the majority and minority, but Brazil is a Christian country. With all due respect, the Federal Supreme Court typified homophobia as if it were racism. Is it not time for an evangelical Christian in the Supreme Court?”

Jair Bolsonaro (1955) Brazilian president elect

On 13 June 2019. Bolsonaro Renews Call for Evangelical Christian on Brazilian Supreme Court https://riotimesonline.com/brazil-news/rio-politics/society/bolsonaro-says-it-is-time-for-an-evangelical-christian-on-brazilian-supreme-court/. The Rio Times (14 June 2019).

Related topics