Antonin Scalia
contemporaryLegal Originalism / Textualism1936 – 2016
Antonin Scalia (1936–2016) was an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court, appointed by President Reagan in 1986 and serving until his death. He is best known as the foremost champion of originalism and textualism in American constitutional and statutory interpretation, arguing that legal texts must be understood according to their original public meaning rather than evolving judicial construction or legislative intent. His prolific opinions and academic writings made him one of the most intellectually influential jurists of the twentieth century.
Notable Achievements
1
Developed and systematized original public meaning originalism as a rigorous judicial methodology
2
Championed textualism in statutory interpretation, rejecting use of legislative history
3
Authored landmark opinions including District of Columbia v. Heller (2008), affirming individual Second Amendment rights
4
Wrote 'A Matter of Interpretation' (1997), the definitive statement of his judicial philosophy
5
Shaped contemporary constitutional theory through influential concurrences and dissents spanning three decades