Garlands Tells DOJ to Pursue Justice, Follow Norms in Farewell Speech

The norms, he said, include guaranteeing the independence of the DOJ’s investigations and prosecutions from both the White House and Congress.

Attorney General Merrick Garland speaks to the U.S. Attorneys who have gathered for their annual conference at the Department of Justice headquarters in Washington on Sept. 12, 2024. Jose Luis Magana/AP Photo

Attorney General Merrick Garland advised his colleagues to “follow our norms” and pursue justice, not politics, in his final address at the Department of Justice on Jan. 16.

“Our norms are a promise to treat like cases alike—that we will not have one rule for the powerful and another for the powerless, one rule for friends and another for foes,” Garland said.