NC Policy Watch covered the Bolch Prize ceremony and noted that the award’s inaugural recipient, U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Anthony M. Kennedy (retired) was honored for a career that embodied the ideals of the rule of law as well as his efforts to promote the rule of law worldwide. From the article by Melissa Boughton:
At the ceremony Thursday honoring Kennedy, he spoke about how essential it is for the rule of law to be properly defined to defend freedom and human dignity.
“The law comes from the people to the government, and that law must human dignity and human freedom, and the law must be accessible,” he said.
The rule of law, Kennedy said, has been under attack and to fight it, the first thing people must develop again is a civil dialogue. Much like the glass award he received, the law can show new beauty and new dimensions when the light shines through, but it can also be broken.
“Once the rule of law is broken, it requires great effort to fix it, and you’re not as sure it will be as beautiful the next time,” Kennedy said.
He added that he was inspired and honored, and would cherish the award to rededicate time to teaching and writing and continuing to advance the law, “that in the end must bind us.”