A proposal has been passed by a Senate committee that requires the Supreme Court to implement an ethics code for itself. However, despite this progress, it is unlikely that the bill will gain support from the rest of Congress as it cannot clear the full Senate or House without Republican backing, according to CBS News. The committee vote resulted in an 11-10 split along party lines. The push for an ethics code gained momentum after Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito accepted gifts from Republican donors without reporting them. Although the idea of an ethics code has been raised in the past, it has never gained traction with the court.
11 years ago, Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin, a Democrat, suggested the implementation of an ethics code to Chief Justice John Roberts. However, his proposal was not accepted. According to the Hill, Durbin stated, “Since then as more and more stories have emerged of justices’ ethical lapses, the American people’s confidence in the Supreme Court has dropped to an all-time low.” Republicans argue that the proposal is retaliatory in response to a series of rulings that Democrats have opposed. GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham stated, “This is a bill to destroy a conservative court.”
The Supreme Court Ethics, Recusal and Transparency Act also aims to establish a transparent process for the submission of ethics complaints against justices by members of the public. After receiving complaints, a panel of chief judges from lower courts would make recommendations. Additionally, the act would require disclosure of gifts, travel, and income received by the justices and their law clerks, following rules similar to those in the Senate and House. While lower court judges have been subject to a code of conduct since 1973, this does not extend to Supreme Court justices. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, the main sponsor of the bill, expressed his concern about the lowest standards of ethics in the highest court in the land, as reported by the Washington Post. (Read more US Supreme Court stories.)
Denial of responsibility! VigourTimes is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
