“We do not need to get good laws to restrain bad people. We need to get good people to restrain us from bad laws.”

“good people do not need laws to tell them to act responsibly, while bad people will find a way around the laws”

“It is the bad people who need to have principles to restrain them.”

“Plato argued that good people do not need laws to tell them to act responsibly, while bad people will always find a way around law. By pretending that procedure will get rid of corruption, we have succeeded only in humiliating honest people and provided a cover of darkness and complexity for the bad people. There is a scandal here, but it's not the result of venal bureaucrats. (1994) p. 99”

“Lancelot tried to have a Word. His Word was valuable to him not only because he was good, but also because he was bad. It is the bad people who need to have principles to restrain them.”

“Oh judge! Your damn laws! The good people don't need them, and the bad people don't obey them.”