Biden proposes plans for Supreme Court reform
The Supreme Court grants partial immunity to Ex-US President Trump and overturns the right to abortion. Scandals are also eroding trust in the judges. President Biden wants to reform the court. Details of the proposed changes.
US-President Joe Biden will reform the United States Supreme Court and present his plans today. The Democrat will propose limiting the tenure of Supreme Court justices and advocating for an enforceable ethics code, a US government representative stated. Additionally, Biden intends to propose a constitutional amendment clarifying that former presidents are not shielded from prosecution for crimes committed during their tenure.
Biden's proposals would need approval from Congress, which, given the current party makeup in the US Congress, is considered unlikely. For a constitutional amendment, there are high hurdles. Biden considers the reforms "in light of this crisis of trust in democratic institutions in America" necessary, the government representative added. In recent years, the court has overturned landmark rulings: It, for instance, limited the right to self-determination for women and granted the president broad immunity for crimes committed during their term. Ethics scandals have raised doubts about the fairness and independence of the Supreme Court.
Shorter Tenure and Ethics Code
The nine justices of the Supreme Court are appointed for life. Their selection is a contentious political process. Ex-President Donald Trump was able to place three justices on the Supreme Court during his tenure, making six of the nine currently considered conservative. Biden plans to propose a system in which the president appoints a justice every two years, who then serves for eighteen years in office. This would contribute to the composition of the court changing with some regularity, it was stated. Such a system would also reduce the likelihood that "one presidency exerts an inappropriate influence on future generations."
In the past year, reports of expensive gifts to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas sparked an ethics debate. The justices of the Supreme Court subsequently agreed to an ethics code, but its enforceability is questionable. Biden aims to achieve Congress passing binding ethical rules. In this, it should be stipulated that justices disclose gifts and abstain from political activities in public. Justices should also be obliged to recuse themselves from cases where they or their spouses have conflicts of interest.
No President Above the Law
The Constitution does not explicitly grant presidents immunity, not even during their time in office. However, the Department of Justice traditionally holds that presidents, at least during their time in the White House, cannot be indicted. A few weeks ago, Trump scored a historic victory at the Supreme Court: The court ruled that he enjoys broad protection from prosecution for actions taken during his presidency. Biden now plans to bring a constitutional amendment to a vote clarifying that "no president is above the law," meaning that former presidents are not shielded from prosecution for crimes committed during their tenure.
Trump criticized the plans as US media reported on them for the first time in the past week. "The Democrats are trying to interfere in the presidential elections and destroy our justice system by attacking their political opponent, me, and our esteemed Supreme Court," he wrote on his Truth Social platform. Trump is the Republican presidential candidate and aims to replace Biden in the White House after the election on November 3. Harris, as the Democratic nominee, is expected to run for president, following Biden's withdrawal from the race less than a week ago.
The Supreme Court's decision to grant partial immunity to former President Trump is a topic of controversy, with President Biden intending to propose a constitutional amendment to clarify that no president is above the law. This proposed amendment aims to remove the shield from prosecution for crimes committed during their tenure.
The Supreme Court's decision in the USA has also led to calls for an enforceable ethics code. Following allegations of expensive gifts to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, President Biden wants Congress to pass binding ethical rules, requiring justices to disclose gifts, abstain from political activities, and recuse themselves from cases with conflicts of interest.
The current political climate in Washington, DC, has highlighted the need for reform in the USA's political institutions. President Biden's proposals to limit the tenure of Supreme Court justices and establish an enforceable ethics code are part of his efforts to restore trust in democratic institutions following recent scandals and controversial court decisions, such as overturning the right to abortion.
