MONTGOMERY — Retiring Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Tom Parker said goodbye to friends and colleagues at the Alabama Supreme Court on Tuesday.
Parker was first elected to the Court in 2004, reelected in 2010 and 2016, and elected Chief Justice in 2018.
Parker lauded the virtues of an originalist judicial philosophy at his well-attended retirement ceremony on Tuesday in Montgomery.
“It takes more than just saying one is against judicial activism and the judicial philosophy of the ‘living Constitution’ approach which allows judges to say that the meaning of the Constitution has changed to say what it is that they want the Constitution to say,” Parker said in his retirement speech.
Parker continued, “As a counter approach, I determined to rebuild the ancient ways, to raise up the age-old foundations.”
Parker also discussed Sir William Blackstone’s influence on American law, the Alabama Supreme Court and the Supreme Court of the United States.
“In addition, rather than solely relying on the precedence of the justices who preceded us on this court, Alabama justices have moved to originalism in interpreting the Alabama Constitution and its statutes. I’m proud to have played a role in turning our court back to honoring the age-old foundations of law in America and also interpreting the law based on originalism. I’m pleased with the focus of my colleagues on the bench and leave with great encouragement about the future of this court,” Parker said.
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