false http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172197566m/148647.jpg 148647 2 <p>We are all familiar with the image of the immensely clever judge who discerns the best rule of common law for the case at hand. According to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, a judge like this can maneuver through earlier cases to achieve the desired aim--"distinguishing one prior case on his left, straight-arming another one on his right, high-stepping away from another precedent about to tackle him from the rear, until (bravo!) he reaches the goal--good law." But is this common-law mindset, which is appropriate in its place, suitable also in statutory and constitutional interpretation? In a witty and trenchant essay, Justice Scalia answers this question with a resounding negative.</p><p>In exploring the neglected art of statutory interpretation, Scalia urges that judges resist the temptation to use legislative intention and legislative history. In his view, it is incompatible with democratic government to allow the meaning of a statute to be determined by what the judges think the lawgivers meant rather than by what the legislature actually promulgated. Eschewing the judicial lawmaking that is the essence of common law, judges should interpret statutes and regulations by focusing on the text itself. Scalia then extends this principle to constitutional law. He proposes that we abandon the notion of an everchanging Constitution and pay attention to the Constitution's original meaning. Although not subscribing to the "strict constructionism" that would prevent applying the Constitution to modern circumstances, Scalia emphatically rejects the idea that judges can properly "smuggle" in new rights or deny old rights by using the Due Process Clause, for instance. In fact, such judicial discretion might lead to the destruction of the Bill of Rights if a majority of the judges ever wished to reach that most undesirable of goals.</p><p>This essay is followed by four commentaries by Professors Gordon Wood, Laurence Tribe, Mary Ann Glendon, and Ronald Dworkin, who engage Justice Scalia's ideas about judicial interpretation from varying standpoints.</p> 143459 1997 A Matter of Interpretation: Federal Courts and the Law (The University Center for Human Values Series) total:90|5:19|4:33|3:31|2:6|1:1| 90 333 142 17 3 0 false false Tue Jul 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Thu Jul 03 14:08:25 -0700 2008 Thu Jul 03 14:08:25 -0700 2008
While I find Mr. Scalia's rulings often troubling, the theory that he presents here is well-grounde...more...]]> 4 0 false false Sun Jun 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Sun Jun 22 20:21:16 -0700 2008 Thu Jun 26 21:56:41 -0700 2008 more...]]> 4 0 false false Mon Oct 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Wed Oct 10 06:15:07 -0700 2007 Fri Oct 19 09:36:32 -0700 2007 more...]]> 3 0 false false Thu Jul 01 00:00:00 -0700 2004 Thu Aug 16 13:04:21 -0700 2007 Thu Aug 16 13:05:06 -0700 2007 more...]]> 4 0 false false Fri Jun 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Tue Jun 26 18:35:31 -0700 2007 Tue Jun 26 18:39:15 -0700 2007 more...]]> 2 0 false false Mon Sep 14 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sat Sep 26 14:59:58 -0700 2009 Sat Sep 26 15:00:47 -0700 2009 4 0 false false Thu Sep 04 16:36:29 -0700 2008 Thu Sep 04 16:40:32 -0700 2008 more...]]> 5 0 false false Sun Sep 21 22:14:02 -0700 2008 Sun Sep 21 22:22:36 -0700 2008 more...]]> 4 0 false false Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2006 Tue Mar 27 13:51:51 -0700 2007 Tue Mar 27 13:53:13 -0700 2007 4 0 false false Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2005 Sun Oct 07 21:38:54 -0700 2007 Mon Oct 08 08:55:13 -0700 2007 4 0 false false Sun Oct 01 00:00:00 -0700 2006 Fri Oct 12 23:50:36 -0700 2007 Wed Oct 17 00:04:58 -0700 2007 3 0 false false Sat Mar 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Mon Feb 11 09:41:43 -0800 2008 Mon Oct 26 11:51:16 -0700 2009 4 0 false false Sat Nov 08 18:59:50 -0800 2008 Sat Nov 08 19:00:25 -0800 2008 4 0 false false Fri Feb 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Tue Mar 25 13:50:30 -0700 2008 Tue Mar 25 13:51:26 -0700 2008 3 0 false false Sun May 18 14:10:41 -0700 2008 Sat May 31 14:09:24 -0700 2008 5 0 false false Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2006 Thu May 22 13:48:32 -0700 2008 Thu May 22 13:49:03 -0700 2008 4 0 false false Sun Oct 19 20:14:51 -0700 2008 Sun Oct 19 20:15:05 -0700 2008 4 0 false false Sun Nov 08 17:03:12 -0800 2009 Sun Nov 08 17:03:12 -0800 2009 3 0 false false Wed Nov 04 06:52:18 -0800 2009 Wed Nov 04 06:52:18 -0800 2009 3 0 false false Mon Oct 26 18:59:27 -0700 2009 Mon Oct 26 18:59:33 -0700 2009 http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=148647