Friends of the Earth USA

29/07/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 29/07/2024 16:21

Friends of the Earth Responds to Supreme Court Announcement

Friends of the Earth Responds to Supreme Court Announcement

July 29, 2024

WASHINGTON - Today, President Biden formally endorsed commonsense policies to restore justice and confidence in the nation's highest court. There are two pieces of federal legislation pending in Congress that would help achieve these twin goals. Together, the Judicial Ethics and Anti-Corruption Act (H.R. 3973) and the Supreme Court Biennial Appointments and Term Limits Act of 2023 (S. 3096) would impose a mandatory code of ethics for Supreme Court Justices, as well as establish 18-year term limits for Justices.

Hallie Templeton, Friends of the Earth's Legal Director responds:

In the Supreme Court's 235-year history, our country has made significant growth and progress. Today's Court still reflects a law that was enacted when our country was on the heels of the Civil War, women did not have the right to vote, and the Civil Rights Act was still 100 years away. It's time for the court to catch up with the American public and the 21st Century.

Despite the important growth and change in the U.S., our most important cases are still being determined by a non-representative group of Justices who are held to insultingly low ethical standards. This design is stunting our nation's progress, resulting in a return to antiquated legal interpretation and the erosion of fundamental human rights. Friends of the Earth is proud to support the President's and Congressional efforts to restore integrity and balance to the highest court in the land.

Contact: Shaye Skiff, [email protected]