When will Labour learn that you cannot build Jerusalem in Brussels.
Margaret ThatcherRead
Whether it is in the United States or in mainland Europe, written constitutions have one great weakness. That is that they contain the potential to have judges take decisions which should properly be made by democratically elected politicians.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Written constitutions can empower judges to make decisions that should be reserved for elected officials.
This quote by Margaret Thatcher highlights a significant concern regarding written constitutions: they can inadvertently allow judges to take on roles that might better be suited for democratically elected politicians. This transfer of decision-making power can undermine the democratic process and lead to judicial overreach, where unelected officials influence policies that reflect the voters' will.
Themes
ConstitutionJudgesPoliticsDemocracyDecisions
In practice
Example use cases
In a debate about the role of the judiciary in shaping social policies.
More from Margaret Thatcher
All quotes →Never in the history of human credit has so much been owed.
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If it's me against 48, I feel sorry for the 48.
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