From time immemorial, we have idealized the rule of law in precept and undermined it in practice. We have forgotten Cicero’s warning that
§ ‘we are in bondage to the law so that we might be free’
and that
§ ‘howsoever high you may be, the law is above you.’
We ignore Montesquieu who saw
§ ‘liberty as the right to do as the law permits’
and we violate William Penn’s apt words,
§ ‘Law is the insurance we have on our lives and property. Obedience is the premium we pay for it.’
Abhishek Singvi
HT- 21.4.04
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