Weekly Spotlight: The Supreme Court is Back
But the justices still face little accountability.
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The Supreme Court began its new term this week, and will yet again decide cases without a sufficient code of ethics. We want to take this moment to emphasize that the highest court in the land continues to issue rulings that impact people personally across the country all while the justices face little to no accountability for their actions.
We’ve long advocated for a strong, binding code of ethics for the Supreme Court — one that would better ensure that the justices act free from bias and in the best interest of the American public. The Supreme Court did create a code of ethics for itself last year, no doubt prompted by intense public scrutiny of gifts justices have accepted. But as we wrote last year, the code seeks to legitimize unethical conduct rather than prevent it.
We will continue to advocate for real ethics reform at the court and push Congress to conduct robust oversight of the ethics crisis at the Supreme Court. We helped get Congress to introduce a basic but vital reform that would ban large gifts to the justices, bringing the court in line with other parts of the federal government. And we’re also pushing for structural reforms at the Supreme Court that would ensure the justices use their power independently and responsibly. With these changes, we could rebuild a Supreme Court worthy of our trust. the justices use their power independently and responsibly.
ANALYSIS
The 10 Worst Lines from the Supreme Court’s New Code of Conduct
The Supreme Court’s new ethics code is far too little, far too late.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“It certainly seems emblematic of the broader problem of there not being a specific and descriptive code of conduct that the justices need to follow that's enforceable in any way.”
Sarah Turberville, Director of The Constitution Project, in Courthouse News Service
ONE LINERS
“It should not take financial penalties or incentives to make a facility or agency provide basic information about a death. If that’s the calculation, it reflects a deeper failure to take responsibility for the people under their care. We’re talking about human lives here.”
David Janovsky, Senior Policy Analyst, The Constitution Project, in InvestigateWest
“There is a grand bargain here somewhere that needs to be struck. You know, we need an acquisition and procurement system that allows industry to operate effectively and to derive a profit so that it can stay in business and allows DOD to get the thing that it needs and that the warfighter ultimately needs.”
Dylan Hedtler-Gaudette, Director of Government Affairs, on Federal News Network
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