Of Judicature — Francis Bacon

A judge who bends the law even slightly to reach a result they personally prefer is, in effect, making new law without anyone electing them to do it. Francis Bacon, himself a lawyer and eventually England's Lord Chancellor, wrote his essay Of Judicature almost as a job description for judges — and its warnings about overreach are still exactly what an Indian bench is expected to avoid today.

In two minutes

In Of Judicature, Francis Bacon sets out what he believes a judge's proper role and character should be — to interpret and apply law rather than make it, to be free of bias and corruption, and to conduct proceedings with patience and gravity — making the essay an early statement of judicial duty and restraint.

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