I do not believe it is the function of the judiciary to step in and change the law because the times have changed. I do well understand the difference between legislating and judging. As a judge, it is not my function to develop public policy.
SANDRA DAY O'CONNOR[G]overnment endorsement . . . of religion . . . sends a message to nonadherents that they are outsiders, not full members of the political community, and an accompanying message to adherents that they are insiders, favored members of the political community.
More Sandra Day O'Connor Quotes
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I have always thought that while it’s wonderful to be the first to do something, you don’t want to be the last.
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I think most people didn’t want to do court duty.
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The unhappy persistence of both the practice and the lingering effects of racial discrimination …is an unfortunate reality…and the government is not disqualified from acting in response to it.
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I sort of thought the framers of the Constitution were talking about the rights of individuals, not corporate entities.
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The freedom to criticize judges and other public officials is necessary to a vibrant democracy. The problem comes when healthy criticism is replaced with more destructive intimidation and sanctions.
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I think I learned to appreciate and treasure each day, because you don’t know how many you’re going to be given.
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Each justice hires their own clerks, and applications are made individually to the justices. It isn’t a group decision.
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My sense is that jurists from other nations around the world understand that our court occupies a very special place in the American system, and that the court is rather well regarded in comparison, perhaps, to their own.
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I’m not on the court anymore, so no use looking for my philosophy. If somebody’s waiting for that, they can wait for another justice.
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Liberty finds no refuge in a jurisprudence of doubt.
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Having family responsibilities and concerns just has to make you a more understanding person.
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I had become increasingly concerned in recent years about the lack of civics education in our nation’s schools. In recent years, the schools have stopped teaching it. And it’s unfortunate.
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[G]overnment endorsement . . . of religion . . . sends a message to nonadherents that they are outsiders, not full members of the political community, and an accompanying message to adherents that they are insiders, favored members of the political community.
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I think it’s inevitable that some of the court’s decisions will be found by a segment of the public to be not the right decision or subject to criticism.
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The freedom to criticize judges and other public officials is necessary to a vibrant democracy.
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