Question

which justice said that the constitution means what the supreme court says it means?

Answer 1

One of the Supreme Court's most important responsibilities in the United States' tripartite government is ensuring that statutes and policies conform with the intent of the Constitution. This is done through both case law, where the Court evaluates how established and accepted laws are applied by the lower courts, and by "judicial review," where challenged Congressional legislation is evaluated to ensure the new laws comply with constitutional standards, and that Congress didn't overstep its authority by enacting legislation over areas that fall outside its jurisdiction.

In many cases, the Articles and Amendments of the Constitution consist of a set of principles, rather than detailed instructions. Therefore, the Supreme Court is required to interpret how the principles are intended to be used. The interpretations are influenced by individual justices' theoretical beliefs about whether the document is intended to be applied literally, as written, or whether the Constitution is a living document that is meant to evolve as society changes; their ideological beliefs about who the Framers intended to protect or allocate privileges and powers in a given situation; precedents set on similar issues by earlier Supreme Court cases; and the sociopolitical context in which the statutes were written, among other things. Not only do these views vary from justice-to-justice, but they change from Court-to-Court over time, depending on whether the Court has more conservatives or progressives; the majority attitude toward judicial activism, as opposed to judicial restraint; and, again, the sociopolitical context of the era in which the Court sits, among other things.

On occasion, the rulings are also influenced by new Amendments adopted by Congress and the States that need to be factored into the decision-making process, which may alter how earlier Articles and Amendments are viewed.

The Supreme Court, as head of the Judicial branch of government, is the only body empowered with the final authority to decide how the Constitution should be applied. Therefore, their interpretation, even if contradictory to earlier interpretations or other people's beliefs, is the final determinant of constitutional law.

"The Constitution means what the Supreme Court says it means," indicates the meaning of the document isn't fixed, but changing, and is based solely on Supreme Court opinion.

Answer 2

gr12, you might want to cite your sources if you're gonna just copy the text from another site. That whole thing was taken from http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_does_the_phrase_'the_Constitution_means_what_the_Supreme_Court_says_it_means'_indicate

Also, it doesn't seem to answer the question. It explains the context of the phrase, but not the Judge from whom it originated, which is what I understand to be the question; for which I can't find a solid answer.