“[I]t is only fair that any new [judicial] appointments under this new constitution shall go through the trial period of one term. If they are qualified they have no fear of not being re-appointed.” 1
The drafters of New Jersey’s 1947 constitution intended to create a powerful, independent judiciary, free to interpret the law using its best judgment without regard to political considerations of the moment. This judicial independence bolsters protections for individual rights and acts as a check on the worst impulses of democracy. Defending that independence against political attacks has been the guiding editorial principle for this Law Journal Editorial Board since 1947.
