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Scalia says morality should not be up to judges

By Matt Sepic, KWMU

St. Louis, MO. – U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia says judges are no better at making decisions about morality than the general public.

Scalia spoke in St. Louis Wednesday at a Bar Association luncheon.

He said questions about things such as abortion, the death penalty and same-sex marriage should be answered by the people and not unelected judges.

The justice said in a democracy, the public will have a say in these issues one way or another. And an increase in judicial hegemony (hedge-EM-on-ee) is why recent Supreme Court confirmation hearings have been so contentious.

Scalia also argued for a return to a strict interpretation of the Constitution.

He said the document can only be changed by amending it, not by judges re-interpreting it to fit the spirit of the times.

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