Abstract

This chapter considers the functions of the chief justice. It examines how the recent chief justices have varied in their response to the challenges of the position, and then considers a psychological analysis of the nature of the job. It should be apparent that not all chief justices brought the same skills to the job, and even taking into account the changing nature of the job's demands over the last 200 years, we can evaluate just how well each incumbent fulfilled the leadership functions of the job.