| "There shall
be a Court of Appeals..."  | |
| IN A REPORT OF THE NEW YORK STATE BAR ASSOCIATION ANNUAL MEETING of January 1894, Walter S. Logan observed that, during the prior 50 years, changes in the very nature of our civilization had been "more revolutionary than any changes which have occurred in any former period of the world's history of twice its length." In a mere 50 years, he wrote, the railroad, steamship and telegraph had come into full use; the telephone had been invented; the factory system developed; newspapers, books and magazines proliferated; and the world had graduated from a system of small, independent towns into a single community. One can only wonder what Mr. Logan would say of the world today, as we jet around the globe, explore Mars and clone sheep. |
What is new - truly revolutionary - in society is significant to this celebration. And so is what has endured. Today's Court of Appeals cases mirror today's society: many family and criminal law matters, constitutional challenges, toxic tort cases, Suits against the government, reflecting a vastly different world from 1847. What endures? In his essay Walter Logan opined that the judiciary article was the most important part of the Constitution. "The organization of our courts and the establishment of our judicial policy is what comes nearest to the everyday life of the people, and on which most depends their progress and their happiness." Indeed, throughout history independent courts, respected by the government and the people, have been - and they remain - the cornerstone of a free and fair society. |
 FOR 150 YEARS, THE NEW YORK COURT OF APPEALS HAS DECIDED CASES WITHOUT FEAR OR FAVOR - ENFORCING OBLIGATIONS AND PROTECTING RIGHTS GUARANTEED BY THE CONSTITUTION AND LAWS OF THIS STATE AND NATION. Time has not eroded the Court of Appeals' commitment to justice and the rule of law. We cannot know what "revolutionary" societal changes the future will add to our calendar, but unquestionably the Court's commitment to justice and the rule of law will continue to burn brightly in the years ahead. |
|
 The Historical Society of the Courts of the State of New York | |
