![]() Juvenal’s question quis custodiet ipsos custodes (who guards the guardians?) remains a central concern of democracy, since the people must always watch over the constitutional behaviour of the leaders and impeach them if they act in contravention of their duties. Who watches the watchmen? Me, Mr Pessimal. Who watches the watchmen Terry Pratchett? More recently the phrase has been generalised to challenge authority, the utility of regulators, and schemes of quality assurance. When the Roman poet Juvenal asked ‘ Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? ‘ (‘Who watches the watchmen? ‘) he was questioning the integrity of guards posted to ensure his wife’s fidelity. , which literally translates to “Who will guard the guards themselves,” the modern version of which has become “Who watches the watchmen?” The phrase is a general embodiment of the idea that it can be hard to hold those in power accountable.
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