Ethical no man's land: can the US supreme court be trusted to police itself?

[marmar]

(Guardian UK) Last July Samuel Alito, one of the nine justices of the US supreme court, delivered the keynote speech at a gala dinner held in the gilded splendour of the Palazzo Colonna in Rome.

Alito ruminated on the “proud civilization” achieved by the Romans two millennia ago, asking himself how modern America would be remembered thousands of years hence. “As I think back, I also think ahead, and I wonder what historians may say centuries from now about the contribution of the United States to world civilization,” he said.

Alito did not specify which aspects of contemporary American life he deemed especially worthy of remembrance. One feature that would be unlikely to make the cut in many people’s estimation would be the ethical standing of his own court.

The justice had been flown out to Rome by the Religious Liberty Initiative, an outpost of the University of Notre Dame law school that advocates for religious freedom informed by the Catholic tradition. This was not the group’s first contact with Alito.

The initiative and its faculty have filed amicus briefs with the supreme court in at least six high-profile cases since it was founded in 2020. Two of the group’s fellows filed amicus briefs arguing against the constitutional right to an abortion in Dobbs, the case that led to the court overturning Roe v Wade in a contentious ruling written by Alito. ..............(more)

https://www.theguardian.com/law/2023/mar/24/us-supreme-court-ethics-code-clarence-thomas

[Wounded Bear]

1. Simple answer is no...

In fact all of the complex answers I can think of start with "no."

[rurallib]

2. And it is very demonstrable

[Botany]

3. Can the US supreme court be trusted?

In a word no. Please see bush v Gore.

[dchill]

4. Asked and answered.

[Sailingdiver]

5. Fox - Henhouse.....(NT)

[The Magistrate]

6. On Present Record, Sir, I Must Answer No

[Ocelot II]

7. Evidently not, at least not lately.

[FBaggins]

8. No... but neither can the other branches of government

And there isn’t much that can be done about it other than gathering enough support for the need to actually impeach someone who crosses a line

[nuxvomica]

9. In the "proud civilization" of the Romans, abortion was legal

If Alito continues to have his way, our time will likely be perceived as a Second Dark Ages.

[RKP5637]

10. No!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SCOTUS is just another political operative! n/t

[Irish_Dem]

11. For those who make the rules, there are no rules.

[usonian]

12. I wouldn't trust the majority of them to break a ten dollar bill.