Court Opinion

ID: 9532161
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-07 04:18:42.753505+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:28:41.587411
License: Public Domain

McEWEN, Judge,
dissenting:
The excellent opinion of the majority very clearly reflects the awesome nature of the challenge here posed and quite persuasively concludes that the statutory law must here prevail over equity. I am unable, however, to accept the resulting unfairness or to endure the vision that any party is. above the law and any just cause is beyond redress.
The special facts of this case make dissent instinctively easy. More difficult is the task of composing a rationale for what amounts to the singular judicial modification of a statute. I am mindful of the admonition of Benjamin Franklin that ours is a government of laws and not of men but have no doubt that Citizen Franklin would have been quite quick to devise a solution to this dilemma and may very likely have coined a proverb to do so. Thus encouraged, may I first note that the instant action is a proceeding in equity and then recall two accepted certainties. First, it is a principle of Biblical authenticity that fairness is the standard by which human affairs should be conducted and to which disputes should be addressed. Second, it is undisputed that a statute — whether designed to serve society in general or, as here, to protect a limited group — is but a codification of the measure of fairness or equity to be applied in particular situations or to specific events. I, therefore, would urge that when the statutory prescription for equity produces grave injustice, it must bow to pervading fairness. In other words, while Themis, the goddess of justice, dearly loves all of her children, she would be quick to concede that equity demands the most care and must, therefore, receive the most protection. Thus, while I embrace the statutory law, I must here favor fairness.
*501As a result, I would order that appellee be compensated in accordance with the agreement of the parties.