As Democrats and Republicans finish their 2020 platforms, FTC urges drafters to include SCOTUS reform

With both major political parties set to hold national conventions in the coming weeks, Fix the Court is urging party leaders to include Supreme Court reform in the 2020 platforms.

We sent notes to members of the Democratic and Republican platform drafting committees, asking that the committees consider our proposals to make the courts more transparent and accountable:

“Our courts play a critical role in our democracy, and since preserving the public’s trust in them is of paramount importance, Article III officers should be brought in line with current expectations of accountability from public officials. In the coming years, efforts to enact stronger ethics regulations and clearer conflict-of-interest rules should include federal judges and justices.”

Three proposals we have repeatedly advocated in conversations with policymakers across the aisle are 18-year term limits for Supreme Court justices, live audio of oral arguments at the Supreme Court and across the federal judiciary, and a code of conduct for the Supreme Court justices.

“Each of our proposals has strong bipartisan support, both among members of the public and among leading thinkers,” said FTC’s Gabe Roth in a statement. “By including one or more of the proposals, Democrats and Republicans could signal a willingness to work across the aisle to reform the most powerful, least accountable branch of government.”