Scalia’s Captioned Headings Make A French Connection

April 29th, 2014

Will Baude has drawn attention to Justice Scalia’s curious practice of labeling his section headers in opinions. In EPA v. EME Homer City Generation, L. P. Section I.D. is titled:

D. Plus Ça Change:
EPA’s Continuing Quest for Cost-Benefit Authority

“Plus Ça Change” is loosely translated as the more things change, the more its the same thing. Ask Justice Breyer to pronounce that.

So citing French law–bad. Citing French idioms–good!