Vol. 37, Number 9September 2005
The Rehnquist Court on
their Chief Justice
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(Left to Right Seated) Associate Justice Antonin Scalia, Associate Justice John Paul Stevens, Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist, Associate Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, Associate Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, (Back Row Standing) Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Associate Justice David H. Souter, Associate Justice Clarence Thomas, Associate Justice Stephen G. Breyer |
Statement of Justice
John Paul Stevens:
William Rehnquist's independent, impartial, and dedicated
leadership of the Supreme Court has been an inspiration to those
of us privileged to serve with himand to the entire Nation
as well. Charles Evans Hughes, a great Chief Justice whom he
particularly admired, would have been proud of the example he
set as the leader of the Court. He was truly the first among
equals in discharging his judicial duties in a prompt, scholarly,
and fair manner. He was a good friend, maintaining his sense
of humor and proportion throughout the difficult period that
marked his most recent service. We shall miss him.
Statement of Justice Sandra Day O'Connor:
William Rehnquist will go down in history as one of the great
Chief Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States. He
steered the Court along a path of responsibility and careful
analysis throughout his 19 years as Chief Justice. He led the
Court with firm principles but with a light touch. He never
lost his sense of humor and he was able to secure the cooperation
and admiration of all of the Justices for the years in which
he served. He will be sorely missed.
Statement of Justice Antonin Scalia:
Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist led a philosophically diverse
group of Justices through 19 years in which public attention
was focused upon the Supreme Court to an unprecedented degree.
His keen intellect and sound judgment commanded the respect
of his colleagues, and his personal qualities of considerateness
and fairness won their affection. His death is a loss to the
Court, to all the federal judiciary that he headed for so long,
and to the Nation. It is a double loss for me; he was my friend
long before he was my Chief. May he rest in peace.
Statement of Justice Anthony Kennedy:
William Rehnquist was a warm, compassionate, decent man; a brilliant
jurist; and a Chief Justice of superb and historic stature.
In his personal relations he was unpretentious to the point
of being casual, almost as if to put friends and colleagues
at ease with his vast knowledge of history, remarkable grasp
of the law, and a mind so precise he was at once formidable
and delightful. He was a skillful presiding officer of exemplary
fairness. He loved his family. The American people can be
grateful to them for the distinguished public service William
Rehnquist gave to the Court and to our Nation.
Statement of Justice Clarence Thomas:
Virginia and I were deeply saddened to learn of the death of
the Chief Justice. We will miss him deeply as a friend and
as a colleague. He was a good man who epitomized fairness,
dignity, and strength of character. Our thoughts and prayers
continue to be with his family.
Statement of Justice Ruth Bader
Ginsburg:
Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist was the fairest, most efficient
boss I have ever had. Speaking of his role in a 2002 address,
he said: “[T]he Chief Justice has placed in his hands
some of the tools which will enable him to be primus among the
pares but his stature will depend on how he uses them.” In
his leadership of the U.S. Judiciary and his superintendence
of the Supreme Court, William H. Rehnquist used to great effect
the tools Congress and tradition entrusted to him.
A plain speaker without airs or affectations, the Chief fostered
a spirit of collegiality among the nine of us perhaps unparalleled
in the Court's history. He regarded an independent Judiciary
as our country's hallmark and pride, and in his annual
reports, he constantly urged Congress to safeguard that independence.
On the obligation key to judging, he cautioned that a judge
steps out of the proper judicial role most conspicuously and
dangerously when the judge flinches from a decision that is
legally right because the bottom line is not the one “the
home crowd wants.” I held him in highest regard and affection,
and will miss him greatly.
Statement of Justice Stephen G. Breyer:
The Chief Justice was a brave, intelligent man deeply committed
to maintaining the rule of law and preserving an independent
judiciary.
He understood the Court and its history. He administered the
Court, as he did the judicial system, effectively and with great
fairness. He never allowed disagreements about the law to become
personal and the Court followed his example. I much admired
his personal and legal strength. I shall greatly miss him.
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