Justice Kennedy Address

U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Anthony Kennedy spoke about the importance of the rule of law and democracy during a keynote address at the opening assembly of the annual meeting of the American Bar Association.

At times holding back tears as he spoke, he urged more than 5,000 lawyers and judges to champion law as a “liberating force” capable of spreading justice and democracy throughout the world. He said law should respect the dignity and equality of every person and be administered universally, regardless of economic or political status. With sectarian violence erupting across the globe and religion gaining a stronghold in governments, he said, now was the time for attorneys and judges to take a place at the forefront of the campaign to herald the American system of law and governance. close