US President Joe Biden’s editorial published in the Washington Post makes significant proposals for reforming the Supreme Court and the presidency, reflecting concerns about the impartiality and ethics of the current system.
Biden proposes introducing an 18-year term limit for Supreme Court justices, replacing the current lifetime system. This change would encourage regular rotation of justices, making appointments more predictable and less arbitrary, and reducing the risk that a single presidency could radically alter the composition of the Court for generations.
Furthermore, the US President emphasises the need for a binding code of ethics for the Supreme Court, stating that the current code is weak. Biden believes that judges should be obliged to disclose gifts received, abstain from public political activity, and recuse themselves in cases where there are financial or other conflicts of interest. Currently, all other federal judges are subject to an enforceable code of conduct, and Biden argues that the Supreme Court should also be included.
The president highlights an ethical crisis in the Supreme Court, citing recent scandals that have undermined the Court’s image of impartiality. For example, he mentions the undisclosed gifts received by some justices from individuals with interests in the cases tried and the conflicts of interest related to the events of 6 January 2021.
Biden also criticises the Supreme Court’s recent decision to grant broad immunity to presidents for official acts, proposing a constitutional amendment clarifying that there is no immunity for crimes committed by a former president while in office. He argues that the power of the president should be limited and that no one, not even the president, should be above the law. In this context, he draws attention to the fundamental principle of the United States being a nation of laws, not kings or dictators.
In sum, Biden’s proposals aim to strengthen the nation’s founding principles by ensuring that institutions remain fair, transparent, and accountable, and by profoundly reforming the system to ensure that no one is above the law.
(Associated Medias) – Al rights are reserved