ARIZONA ATTORNEY GENERAL OPINIONS

Contemplation Of Justice
James Earle Fraser

Supreme Court
East Capitol Street & 1st Street

One of two 45-ton allegorical statues flanking the steps to the Supreme Court building, this features a woman seated with a pensive expression. In her right hand is a tiny figure representing Justice.

Seated female figure installed on the right side of the entrance to the building. Figure is hooded and fully draped. Her proper left arm rests on a book and her proper right hand holds a miniature blindfolded female figure representing Justice.

The pediment is named Equal Justice Under Law. It was created by Robert Aitken.

The pediment is adorned with nine figures, six of which are portraits of historical figures dressed in classical attire. In the center of the pediment is a female figure representing Liberty. She is seated holding the scales of justice in her lap. On either side of Liberty are two Roman soldiers. Order on her proper right holds a sheathed sword, and Authority on her proper left holds a fasces, the Roman symbol of authority. On Liberty's proper right is a portrait of the architect of the building, Cass Gilbert, and the statesman and lawyer, Elihu Root. Gilbert and Root are symbolic of council. To Liberty's her proper left is a portrait of Chief Justice Charles Evans Hughes and sculptor Robert Aitkin. Hughes and Aitkin are also symbolic of council. At the far proper right end is a portrait of president William Howard Taft and at the far proper left end is a portrait of Chief Justice John Marshall. Taft and Marshall are symbolic of Research.

The Secretary General of Parliament, Priyanee Wijesekera will end her long and distinguished career as a top public servant on 31 March 2008.

Wijesekera, the first woman Secretary General of Parliament counting 18 years of service to the legislature itself conceded in an interview with The Sunday Leader that hers was a challenging job albeit an exciting one.

A constitutional lawyer who won the coveted Zonta International Award as a woman of achievement for her distinguished career in law and public service, Wijesekera advocates the strengthening of the institution of parliament and improving the public service to build a better Sri Lanka.

She noted with concern a decline in the quality of parliamentarians and attributed this to a possible lack of interest in studying the parliamentary process, lack of respect for the country's basic law - the constitution and the disrespect for the voter.

Wijesekera also called for the evolution of the institution of parliament and felt the rules of procedure should necessarily evolve reflecting the current needs. Excerpts


Sunday Leader 30/03/2008