Politics

Judges Make Law and have for Centuries

Folks, Judges have been making law for hundreds of years. It is called common law. Common law is law that has been developed through the years by consideration of prior rulings on other cases similar in nature. When there is no prior law on a subject, judges still use prior court cases to guide them in their decisions. This is called precedent. Judges look at all kinds of things to help them, including life experiences and common sense. One cannot judge without common sense. And sometimes I don’t agree with someone else’s common sense even though I can recognize his point. Things are not as clear cut as so many want to make us believe. Our own personal history gives us our own personal insights that others may be lacking. I don’t agree with the idea that ones personal insights are better than someone else’s but the diversity of thought on a panel of judges will be better than with those expanded views.