WisBar News
October 16, 2002
Chief Justice speaks of changing times, enduring values
In her annual State of the Judiciary address Chief Justice Shirley S. Abrahamson today discussed the effect of the economy and changes in society on the work of the courts, and noted that 2003 marks the 150th anniversary of the Wisconsin Supreme Court (the state kept its territorial appellate court system for five years after statehood).
Chief Justice speaks of changing times, enduring values
October 16, 2002
Madison, Wis. - In her annual State of the Judiciary
address Chief Justice Shirley S. Abrahamson today discussed the effect
of the economy and changes in society on the work of the courts, and
noted that 2003 marks the 150th anniversary of the Wisconsin Supreme
Court (the state kept its territorial appellate court system for five
years after statehood).
Abrahamson said that Wisconsin's 19th century boom in logging and
milling filled court dockets with contract disputes and cases centering
on damage to property. In the 20th century, the introduction of
automobiles brought new cases involving personal injury and property
damage. "What will the 21st century hold in store? What are the ethical
and philosophical questions, the social and scientific issues that might
confront us as a society and drive the future work of the courts?"
Abrahamson asked, noting that genetic engineering, cloning, and
cyberterrorism might be just the start.
Abrahamson spoke to a gathering of nearly 300 judges from around the
state at the annual Wisconsin Judicial Conference at Monona Terrace in
Madison. She pointed out that the number of non-English speaking people
in the courts has increased dramatically, reflecting Wisconsin changing
demographic, and also noted that more and more people are choosing to
represent themselves in court rather than hire an attorney. "[J]ust as
our caseload changes to reflect society's current issues, so must our
way of doing business adapt to meet the needs of self-represented
persons," she said.
