Evening star., 1941-05-06
Hughes Says Justice
Must Dominate Our
Way Of Life
Power and Victory Futile
Without 1t, He Tells
Law Institute

Addressing leaders Of the legal
profession, Chief Justice Hughes to-
day declared the people of the
United States ARE engaged in har-
Messing our national power for the
defense of our way of life, but our
way of life is desirable only as 1t
is the pathway Of the just"
The Chief Justice spoke at the
opening session of the 18th annual
meeting of the American Law In
stitute, which is bringing together
about TOO members of bench and bar
at the Mayf1ower.
The institute, which is engaged in
the task of clarifying and simplify
ing the common law and preparing
certain model codes for adoption by
the States, also was greeted by Pres
ident Roosevelt, who sent a message
praising the accomplishments Of
the last two decades and bespeak-
ing continued progress.
Says Work Is Vital.
"In this critical period" President
Roosevelt said, "the democracies are
engaged in an endeavor to vindicate
the reign of law and to sustain the
supremacy of popular government.
1t Is particularly vital therefore, in
the stress and strain of the world
conflict, that ordinary development
of jurisprudence should not be neg
lected. The continuous process Of
adjusting and molding the law to
conform to the social needs of the
times must succeed without due in
terruption.
THE past few years have marked
outstanding advances in several
branches of the law, especially in
Federal, civil and criminal pro-
cedure. Much more, however, still
remains to be attained"
Introduced by George Wharton
Pepper, president of the institute
and former Senator from Pennsyl-
vania, Chief Justice Hughes de-
clared that "the lamps of justice are
dimmed or have wholly gone out
in many parts of the earth. but
these lights are still shining brightly
here"
1T is our high privilege, although
our task may seem proSaic," he con-
tinued, "to strengthen the defenses
OF democacy by commencing to
public confidence and esteem the
working of the institutions of justice
in both State and Nation. We must
buttress our sense of justice; If
justice does not dominate, power
and victory will be futile"
The Chief Justice said the ad-
ministrative Office of the United
States courts, the law institute and
other organizations were doing ex-
cellent work in improving the
efficiency of the courts.
Then he added:
so we steadily advance In per-
fecting machinery and improving
opportunity. Still, in every depart
ment of administration it is the
human factor that counts most.
THE community looks to our
judges for competency, efficiency
and impartiality, without which
codes merely add to an accumula-
ton of legal utilities.
Privilege of judiciary.
1T is the privilege and duty of
the judiciary to demonstrate the
capacity of democratic government
to have the peoples laws admin
istered without an evil eye and an
unequal hand
The community also looks TO the
administrative agencies, which are
multiplied in response to social
needs, for competency. efficiency
and impartiality in their respective
spheres"
Democracy cannot escape its
pressure groups" he said. Each
interest has its imperious demands.
These groups compete in the market
place, In the forums of public opin.
ion, in popular elections and in our
legislative halls, but they have no
place in the halls of judicial ad-
ministration
The institute is financed by the
Carnegie Corp, and it was an
nounced today by William Draper
Lewis, the director, that grant OF
$164 900 had just been made to carry
on its work.
The meeting lasts through Friday,
with the annual banquet scheduled
Thursday night. Speakers will be
Mr.. Pepper, Representative Summers.
Democrat. of Texas. chairman Of the
House Judiciary Committee, and
United States Circuit Judge Ar,ni-
stead M. Dobie,