Chief Justice of the United States John G. Roberts, Jr. visited the Historic Jamestowne unit of Colonial National Historical Park on Saturday, April 14th, to take part in a ceremony commemorating 400 years of the rule of law in America.
As part of the ceremony, Chief Justice Roberts, along with his counterpart from Great Britain, the Rt. Hon. Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers (Lord Chief Justice of England & Wales) and Justice Sandra Day O’Connor (retired), unveiled a plaque given by the four British Inns of Court in commemoration of their involvement in the settlement of Jamestown and the continued commitment of the two nations to the rule of law, the principle that ensures a government’s authority is overseen by the people and a system of codified law.
The plaque unveiling was the culmination of the Rule of Law Conference, the fifth event in the International Conference Series on the Foundations and Future of Democracy, sponsored by the Jamestown 400th Commemoration Commission. The commission, created by act of Congress in December 2000 to plan, develop, and execute programs and activities to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the founding of Jamestown, includes among its 15 members Director Mary Bomar and Virginia State Director Sandy Rives, who attended the unveiling on behalf of the NPS.
The ceremony was attended by approximately 350 invited guests and was not open to the public. Security for the event was handled by Colonial NHP law enforcement, the Supreme Court Police, Virginia State Police and James City County Police Department. There were no incidents.
