Justice Jackson faces scrutiny after accepting concert tickets and artwork
- The Supreme Court justices have been in private meetings discussing new ethical rules and their enforcement.
- There is division among the justices regarding the adoption of stricter ethics rules akin to those governing lower federal judges.
- The tensions highlighted the challenges in ensuring accountability and maintaining public trust in the judicial system.
In late 2023, the Supreme Court justices engaged in discussions concerning their ethical conduct and the enforcement of newly developed rules. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. had consistently resisted calls for the court to adopt the same ethical standards as other federal judges, asserting that although they consulted the lower-court codes, there was no obligation to adopt them as their own. An internal debate erupted over how conflicts of interest should be managed, where the justices would self-assess their recusal decisions without any external oversight, raising concerns about accountability. As various cases related to the 2020 election surfaced, three liberal justices advocated for stricter enforcement of these conduct rules, amidst apprehensions from some justices regarding potential oversight and its implications on judicial independence. Additionally, controversy swirled around Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson after she revealed accepting significant gifts, highlighting the complex issues surrounding ethical standards and public trust in the judiciary, which remain at the forefront of ongoing discussions among the justices and the public alike.