Barrs comments came during a Constitution Day celebration at Hillsdale College, commemorating the date in 1789 when the Constitution was signed by the Framers in Philadelphia.
Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, Barr has expressed alarm at the restrictions imposed by state authorities on First Amendment rights, particularly the freedom of religion.
He explained that while there might be reasonable and temporary restrictions on some First Amendment rights for the sake of public health, they should not become an overbearing infringement.
The DOJs Civil Rights Division subsequently took a stand against state and local governments that were restricting religious services to an extreme extent.
While the states actions may have been undertaken with the good intention of addressing a public health emergency, Judge William Stickman IV ruled, even in an emergency, the authority of government is not unfettered. The liberties protected by the Constitution are not fair-weather freedoms in place when times are good but able to be cast aside in times of trouble.
Barrs comments came in addition to prepared remarks in which he criticized DOJ prosecutors for abusing their power, and defended the intervention of senior DOJ leadership in the decisions made by lower-level prosecutors.
But political accountabilitypoliticsis what ultimately ensures our system does its work fairly and with proper recognition of the many interests and values at stake.