The rigid, inflexible adherence to a specific interpretation of the law (e.g., Originalism, Textualism, or a particular legal theory) as the only valid framework, treating legal texts as immutable scripture rather than living, context-dependent documents. It's the belief that the law contains one "true" answer discoverable only through your chosen dogma, dismissing judicial discretion, evolving social norms, and equitable considerations as heresy. Legal dogmatists are the theologians of the courtroom, arguing over the sacred commas of the constitutional canon while often missing the human forest for the jurisprudential trees.
Example: "The debate wasn't about justice; it was legal dogmatism. One side cited the 'original public meaning' of a 1789 phrase to block a modern regulation, while the other treated a 1970s precedent as holy writ. Both were more invested in proving their interpretive dogma correct than in whether the outcome actually made sense for the people affected."
by AbzuInExile January 31, 2026
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