Justice Ginsburg: Don't Judge U.S. By 7-Year Period

"I would not judge our country by seven years," Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg told an audience in Vienna, Austria, according to the ABA Journal web site. "It's had more than 220 years." Ginsburg spoke July 4 at the World Justice Forum, co-hosted by the American Bar Association. Ginsburg had been asked by an audience member about possible prosecution of U.S. officials for violation of international norms about treatment of detainees.

Ginsburg and other speakers said a re-thinking of American foreign policy was a more likely prospect in coming months and years than prosecutions for past deeds. "Where do we go, what lessons can we learn from the past?" Ginsburg is quoted as saying. "The important thing is, what you can learn from the past and make sure it doesn't happen again."

The forum is a gathering of participants from around the world in the World Justice Project, which aims to advance the rule of law and enlist support for the concept beyond the legal profession. Unveiled at the event was a Rule of Law Index which will measure judicial independence and other indicia of a fair and stable legal system in nations worldwide.