Friday, January 24, 2014

Judges Who Quote Shakespeare

I always love it when a judge quotes Shakespeare at a criminal.  I imagine the defendant (and quite possibly most of the courtroom) getting this confused sort of "Huh?" look and requiring it be explained to them.

The quote:

“He’s here in double trust,” quoted the judge. ‘First, as I am his kinsman and his subject, strong both against the deed: then, as his host, who should against his murderer shut the door, not bear the knife himself.”
Macbeth, of course. The story of a man who invites the king to his house, and then rather than protecting him, kills him.

The crime:
Ontario Court Justice Gilles Renaud remarked that Marcel Bouchard had the trust of a 64-year-old neighbour who looked to him for protection but violated that trust when he sexually assaulted her after taking her on a birthday date to a Swiss Chalet restaurant.

Not quite the same scale, I suppose. But then again Shakespeare didn't give us many examples of the latter (except maybe Two Gents?)

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