National Constitution Center president and CEO Jeffrey Rosen moderated the annual Harvard Marshall Forum on Friday with two special guests: Supreme Court associate justices Stephen Breyer and Neil Gorsuch.
At the event, Breyer and Gorsuch spoke about general topics related to the Court and justice and not about matters actively in front of the Justices this term.
As the newest Justice, Gorsuch’s comments received the most attention in the media after the event and he joined Breyer in remarking about the role of an independent judiciary. “I know there is a lot of cynicism about government and the rule of law today,” Gorsuch said, “but I don’t share it.” The associate justice has said important that "judges can safely decide the law according to their conscience, without fear of reprisal.”
Breyer remarked, as he has in other public appearances, about the need for people in general to accept decisions made by the courts. In particular, Breyer cited the Bush v. Gore Supreme Court decision in 2000. “It was wrong in my opinion, OK, but people followed it,” said Breyer, who dissented in the 5-to-4 decision. “They did not go out and throw stones or shoot other people.”
All three men are former Marshall scholars. The Marshall scholarship program was established through an Act of Parliament of the United Kingdom in 1953, as an act of gratitude by the British people for the American Marshall Plan. It allows outstanding students to study for a graduate degree anywhere in the United Kingdom. The event held in Cambridge, Mass.
To read related media coverage, see the following links (for some links, the stories are on paid-subscription websites):
New York Times: Gorsuch Rejects Doubts Over ‘Rule of Law Today’
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/03/us/politics/gorsuch-rejects-doubts-over-rule-of-law-today.html?_r=1
Associated Press: Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch: Rule of law 'a blessing'
http://www.startribune.com/supreme-court-justice-neil-gorsuch-rule-of-law-a-blessing/426048133/
Washington Post: Gorsuch stresses rule of law, system where ‘government can lose in its own courts’
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/courts_law/gorsuch-stresses-rule-of-law-system-where-government-can-lose-in-its-own-courts/2017/06/03/6d85cdc4-487b-11e7-a196-a1bb629f64cb_story.html
Boston Globe: Neil Gorsuch hails ‘rule of law’ in Harvard appearance
https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2017/06/02/justices/UBBP4NcmH1jP9X7kzPuNYI/story.html
