Courts

Amy Coney Barrett States The Obvious: Supreme Court Ethics Code Is A 'Good Idea'

What is taking the Supreme Court so long to do what's necessary and adopt its own ethical code of conduct?

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Senate Holds Confirmation Hearing For Amy Coney Barrett To Be Supreme Court Justice

(Photo by Samuel Corum/Getty Images)

The Supreme Court has seen more than its fair share of ethical controversies of late thanks to certain justices — ahem, Justice Clarence Thomas — being bankrolled (i.e., undisclosed travel and gifts) by conservative benefactors. Many, including members of Congress, have called for the country’s highest court to be regulated by a code of judicial ethics, while Justice Samuel Alito has all but declared SCOTUS to be above the law.

Other justices, however, have stepped forward to make their thoughts known on the issue, with Justice Brett Kavanaugh saying he’s “hopeful there will be some concrete steps” taken with regard to adopting a code of ethics, and Justice Elena Kagan saying it “would be a good thing” for the high court to have an ethical code of conduct.

Justice Amy Coney Barrett has now joined her colleagues’ calls for a Supreme code of ethics. During a recent speaking engagement at the University Minnesota Law School, Barrett elaborated on her thoughts. The New York Times has the details:

“It would be a good idea for us to do it, particularly so that we can communicate to the public exactly what it is that we are doing in a clearer way,” she said during a wide-ranging conversation at the University of Minnesota Law School with Robert Stein, a longtime law professor and the former chief operating officer of the American Bar Association.

Barrett continued, noting that “all nine justices are very committed to the highest standards of ethical conduct.” She was unable to provide a timeline or explain what the high court’s ethical code would look like.

Which justice will be the next to step forward to announce that a code of ethics for the Supreme Court would be a “good thing”? How many justices will have to publicly state the obvious before something is done about it?

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Justice Barrett Calls for Supreme Court to Adopt an Ethics Code [New York Times]

Earlier: Elena Kagan Thinks It Would Be A ‘Good Thing’ For The Supreme Court To Have An Ethics Code
We’ve Entered The ‘Hopes And Wishes’ Phase Of SCOTUS Accountability

Staci ZaretskyStaci Zaretsky is a senior editor at Above the Law, where she’s worked since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on Twitter and Threads or connect with her on LinkedIn.

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