Biden to reveal ethics, legal reforms to US Supreme Court
3 Min Read
The US President is anticipated to propose a constitutional amendment that would restrict the immunity granted to presidents and certain other officeholders.
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President Joe Biden speaks during his meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, on Thursday, July 25, 2024. (AP)
US President Joe Biden will unveil his plans to overhaul the US Supreme Court on Monday, Politico reported, citing two people familiar with the situation. The US President is expected to support enforcing an enforceable code of ethics and limiting the terms of justices.
Earlier this week, Biden declared he would push for court reform in an address from the Oval Office.
According to Politico, he is also anticipated to propose a constitutional amendment that would restrict the immunity granted to presidents and certain other officeholders following a July Supreme Court decision that granted them extensive immunity from prosecution.
The report also stated that Biden is due to make the announcement on Monday in Texas, and the details of the ideas may vary.
Justice Elena Kagan on Thursday became the first member of the Supreme Court to call publicly for beefing up its new ethics code by adding a way to enforce it.
During an annual judicial conference held by the Ninth Circuit, Justice Kagan said, “The thing that can be criticized is, you know, rules usually have enforcement mechanisms attached to them, and this one – this set of rules – does not." More than 150 judges, attorneys, court personnel, and others were present.
The court has long been discussing enacting an ethics code, but it became much more urgent when US Supreme Court justices revealed a range of gifts and substantial earnings, including luxurious accommodations and significant book deals they got their hands on simply due to their senior positions.
Justice Thomas reported revising his 2019 financial form to include previously undisclosed "food and lodging" received at a Bali hotel and a California club. Thomas has faced scrutiny for not reporting gifts from businessman and Republican donor Harlan Crow in the past.
Read more: US Supreme Court says Trump immune from prosecution for official acts
Liberal Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson reported receiving four Beyoncé concert tickets valued at $3,711.84 and artwork for her chambers worth $12,500.
Conservative Justice Samuel Alito, who has been criticized for his involvement in cases related to the 2020 election and the January 6 Capitol riot, was granted a 90-day extension for his financial filing.
Many justices have sought book deals as a "gift", which is arguably far more lucrative than mere trips and concert tickets. Jackson reported an advance of $893,750 for her forthcoming memoir "Lovely One", set to be released in September.
In recent years, the public's trust in the court has precipitously decreased. Four out of ten US adults have little faith in the judges, according to a June poll conducted for the Associated Press-Norc Center for Public Affairs Research. Seventy percent of respondents think the justices are more inclined to follow their own political views than act as impartial arbiters.
