The theme for Law Day this yearNo Courts, No Justice, No Freedomexpresses a cornerstone principle of the American way of life that traces its origin back to the very creation of our national government.
Historic Roots
In his June 8, 1789 speech to Congress in support of the adoption of the Bill of Rights, James Madison stated that once our fundamental freedoms were incorporated into the U.S. Constitution,
independent tribunals of justice will consider themselves in a peculiar manner the guardians of those rights; they will be an impenetrable bulwark against every assumption of power in the legislative or executive; they will be naturally led to resist every encroachment upon rights expressly stipulated for in the constitution….
