DEMOCRATS PUSH SUPREME COURT ETHICS BILL

by admin on March 2, 2011 in Commentary

N.J. Law Journal reports:

Two Democratic lawmakers announced legislation today that would shake up the ways that U.S. Supreme Court justices handle ethical questions. The legislation would require the Judicial Conference to set up a process for taking in ethics complaints about the justices, and for investigating those complaints. It would require justices to explain their decisions to recuse or not recuse from a case, and if a justice has turned down a motion to disqualify, it would allow the rest of the Court to disqualify the justice. Lawmakers and ethics experts have for decades questioned the way the Supreme Court handles ethics issues — that is, internally and with varying degrees of disclosure. Last week, more than 100 law professors signed a letter favoring ethics legislation aimed at the Supreme Court.

Tags: Judicial Ethics, US Supreme Court