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14

PEREZ v. MORTGAGE BANKERS ASSN. 

THOMAS, J., concurring in judgment 

2 
Seminole  Rock  is  constitutionally  questionable  for  an
additional  reason:  It  undermines  the  judicial  “check”  on 
the political branches.  Unlike the Legislative and Execu-
tive  Branches,  each  of  which  possesses  several  political
checks on the other, the Judiciary has one primary check 
on  the  excesses  of  political  branches.  That  check  is  the 
enforcement  of  the  rule  of  law  through  the  exercise  of
judicial power.

Judges  have  long  recognized  their  responsibility  to
apply  the  law,  even  if  they  did  not  conceive  of  it  as  a 
“check”  on  political  power.    During  the  17th  century,  for
example,  King  James  I  sought  to  pressure  Chief  Justice
Coke  to  affirm  the  lawfulness  of  his  efforts  to  raise  reve-
nue without the participation of Parliament.  Hamburger, 
Law and Judicial Duty, at 200–201.  Coke sought time to
confer with his fellow jurists to “make an advised answer 
according  to  law  and  reason.”    Case  of  Proclamations,  12 
Co. Rep. 74, 75, 77 Eng. Rep. 1352, 1353 (K. B. 1611).  But 
the  King’s  representative,  Lord  Chancellor  Ellesmere,
responded  that  “he  would  advise  the  Judges  to  maintain
the  power  and  prerogative  of  the  King”  and  suggested
that,  “in  cases  in  which  there  is  no  authority  and  prece-
dent,” the judiciary should “leave it to the King to order in 
Ibid.    Coke  famously  re-
it  according  to  his  wisdom.” 
sponded,  “[T]he  King  cannot  change  any  part  of  the  com-
mon  law,  nor  create  any  offence  by  his  proclamation,
which  was  not  an  offence  before,  without  Parliament.” 
Ibid.  When James I later attempted to do just that, Coke 
declared  the  proclamations  “ ‘utterly  against  Law  and 
reason, and for that void.’ ”  Hamburger, supra, at 202. 

The  Framers  expected  Article  III  judges  to  engage  in 
similar  efforts,  by  applying  the  law  as  a  “check”  on  the 
excesses  of  both  the  Legislative  and  Executive  Branches.
See,  e.g.,    3  J.  Elliot,  Debates  in  the  Several  Conventions 
on the Adoption of the Federal Constitution 553 (1863) (J.