57 Quotes by William Rehnquist

It is truly surprising that the state must assign a greater value to a mother's decision to cut off a potential human life by abortion than to a father's decision to let it mature into a live child.

It's the thing in itself that justifies it.

the fairest, most efficient boss I have ever had.

I leave you now a wiser, but not a sadder, man,

Inadequate compensation seriously compromises the judicial independence fostered by life tenure. That low salaries might force judges to return to the private sector rather than stay on the bench risks affecting judicial performance. . . . Every time an experienced judge leaves the bench, the nation suffers temporary loss in judicial productivity. Diminishing judicial salaries affects not only those who have become judges but also the pool of those willing to be considered for a position on the federal bench.

I didn't know we had that many people on our court.

Garvey said. ''He's been very important in getting the court to recognize limitations on congressional power.

a gentle dignity and an unfailing sense of purpose and sometimes a sense of humor.

The framers of our Constitution came up with two major contributions to the art of government. The first was the idea of an executive not dependent on the political support of the legislature. The second was the idea of the judiciary independent of the executive and legislative branches.