Translation of the Constitution and Laws of the Hawaiian Islands, Established in the Reign of Kamehameha III
![handle is hein.journals/wlehist10 and id is 128 raw text is:
WESTERN LEGAL HisTORY VoL. 10, Nos. 1 & 2
Many cases of importance are described in No One Is Above
the Law, whose greatest value lies in calling the reader's atten-
tion to notable decisions. These include that of Judge Dyer in
the Chouteau case, which preserved the titles to land in a criti-
cal area of Iowa, and Judge McCrary's role in deciding the dis-
puted presidential election of 1876. Judge Stephenson presided
over the Tinker case, a decision of national importance in the
matter of freedom of expression. Judge Hanson's ruling in the
Williams murder conviction shows a tremendous stand on
legal principle in the face of public vilification, while Judge
Longstaff's decision set a judicial precedent in a sexual-harass-
ment case brought by three women on a construction crew.
A special bonus in the book are the biographical sketches of
two United State Supreme Court justices with Iowa connec-
tions-Justices Samuel Freeman Miller and Wiley Blount Rut-
ledge, Jr. It is from an opinion written by Miller that the book's
title is taken, an intriguing one that I hope will encourage
many people to read it.
I recommend No One Is Above the Law for the reasons cited
above, and also because it is both interesting and readable. It is
relatively short, and the biographical profiles are just the right
length for spare-time reading, one at a time. From it, Iowans
and citizens from any other state can learn about the issues
that affect the lives of all of us. Some understanding of how
judges come to decisions, the pressures they face, and the diffi-
culty of serving the cause of justice helps everyone to work
within our legal system more effectively.
Loren N. Horton
Iowa City
Translation of the Constitution and Laws of the Hawaiian
Islands, Established in the Reign of Kanehameha III [trans.
William Richards]. Lahainaluna, 1842; reprint, Green Valley,
Nev.: Ted Adameck, 1994; 242 pp.; $40.00, cloth.
The Hawaiian approach to law and order was originally
based upon tradition, custom, the kapu (taboo) system, and
the will of the governing alii (chief). All of this was conveyed
orally, as there was no writing. After the contact with western-
ers beginning with Captain Cook in 1778, sailing vessels of
British, French, and American registry stopped at Hawaii in
increasing numbers, and for the next forty years the personnel
of more than one hundred ships spent time mingling with the
Hawaiian people at all levels of society. Several westerners
stayed ashore to become permanent residents.
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Translation of the Constitution and Laws of the Hawaiian Islands, Established in the Reign of Kamehameha III
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