Such criticism, he said, “makes it sound as though you are just always going right to your personal preference,” adding, “They think you become like a politician!” Last fall, Justice Clarence Thomas, in an address at Notre Dame, accused the media of spreading the false notion that the Justices are merely politicians in robes. His statement followed a series of defensive speeches from members of the Court’s conservative wing, which now holds a super-majority of 6–3. “The Judiciary’s power to manage its internal affairs insulates courts from inappropriate political influence,” he wrote. Roberts’s report, however, defiantly warned everyone to back off.
President Joe Biden recently established a bipartisan commission to consider reforms to the Court, and members of Congress have introduced legislation that would require Justices to adhere to the same types of ethics standards as other judges. According to a recent Gallup poll, the Supreme Court has its lowest public-approval rating in history-in part because it is viewed as being overly politicized. In December, Chief Justice John Roberts released his year-end report on the federal judiciary. This content can also be viewed on the site it originates from.
