Chief Justice John Roberts responded to criticisms of the Supreme Court’s authority.
Roberts noted the Supreme Court has always dealt with contentious cases and rendered decisions in some cases that elicited strong reactions from the public.
Roberts, though, knocked back on recent accusations against the credibility of the court itself, stating that simply disagreeing with a decision on a contentious matter does not undermine the credibility of the court.
Criticism is Expected, But Now It’s Extreme
Roberts, speaking at the conference via the New York Post, said it is completely fair for the court to face significant criticism, due to the contentious nature of cases and decisions it has made in the past.
Though he doesn’t get how dissenting opinions might undermine the Supreme Court’s authority.
He reportedly told The Washington Post that all of their views are debatable. In reality, members of that group do a fantastic job of critiquing certain viewpoints on occasion.
However, the validity of the court cannot be questioned merely on the grounds that people disagree with a given opinion.
Chief Justice John Roberts defended the Supreme Court against criticism on Friday, saying: "You don’t want the political branches telling you what the law is."
No! What we don't want is an obviously politicized Court.— Duty To Warn 🔉 (@duty2warn) September 10, 2022
Roberts emphasized the Supreme Court’s mandate to interpret the law independently of public opinion or external influences. He insisted this function would remain unchanged, regardless of whether listeners agreed with his or her specific brand of jurisprudence.
During its term at the beginning of the year, the Supreme Court considered and decided upon a number of divisive matters.
Court decisions in June included New York State Rifle & Pistol Association Inc. v. Bruen, which ruled that state laws prohibiting concealed carry of firearms are inconsistent with the constitution.
It also included Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which overturned Roe v. Wade and returned abortion law to the states.
Then, there’s West Virginia v. Environmental Protection Agency, which ruled the EPA lacks the authority to set emission levels caps on coal plants.
Kamala’s Remarks
After those three decisions, especially the Dobbs decision, Democrats and left-wing activists called for the court to be reformed or more judges to be appointed. They slandered the court as “extreme” and said it “lit a flame” to its legitimacy.
Roberts continued, highlighting the risks of politicizing the court system. He wonders who would step in to fill the role of a constitutional interpreter if the court were to relinquish that responsibility.
He told the AP people shouldn’t let politicians decide for them what the law is and they shouldn’t let popular opinion determine what the right option is.
Justice John Roberts pushed back against criticism of the Supreme Court’s “legitimacy” after Kamala Harris dubbed them as “activist court.”
“People can say what they want, simply because people disagree with an opinion is not a basis for questioning the legitimacy of the court.” pic.twitter.com/jAYdqos3CS
— David Croom – (ツ) (@dailycallout) September 10, 2022
Chief Justice John Roberts’ remarks come after Vice President Kamala Harris criticized the Supreme Court’s legitimacy over its Dobbs decision.
On Friday’s “Meet the Press” on NBC News, a clip was released showing Harris telling Chuck Todd that she considers this court to be “activist.”
She claimed the nation is in distress because the Supreme Court trampled on a right to abortion that existed for nearly half a century. She expressed grave concern about the legitimacy of the court as a whole because of it.
This article appeared in The Record Daily and has been published here with permission.
