Justice Samuel Alito Jr. wrote for the majority. Photo: Diego M. Radzinschi/ALM Is It Possible That US Supreme Court Justices Should Not Be Governed By Rules of Ethics? No.
Congress does in fact have the authority to address the conduct of those sitting on the Supreme Court and it should enact ethical rules governing their personal conduct which implicates their impartiality.
August 25, 2023 at 12:11 PM
5 minute read
United States Supreme Court
In the Aug. 2 edition of the Legal Intelligencer there was an article titled: "Alito Faces Criticism for Public Remarks on SCOTUS Ethics Reform", in which the Justice remarked that "I know this is a controversial view, but I'm willing to say it,"—[There is] "No provision in the Constitution which gives them Congress the authority to regulate the ethics of the Supreme Court—period." That remarkable and unabashed statement should be viewed in the context of a few ongoing issues including what just happened in Israel when the Parliament passed legislation stripping its Supreme Court of the authority to declare government decisions unreasonable/illegal, and the very public disclosures that several of the current U.S. Supreme Court justices have enjoyed the benefits of "luxury vacations" and other "gifts" including private jet trips, yacht cruises and fancy overnight stays. It is no wonder that Justice Samuel Alito would express this opinion in light of reports that he too has received gifts including private plane trips for a luxury fishing trip paid by billionaire Paul Singer. No surprise that Alito and other justices "commonly interpret" ethics laws "to mean that accommodations and transportation for social events were not reportable gifts."
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