Justice at Stake Campaign Statement in Response to Attacks on SCOTUS

WASHINGTON, D.C., June 29 - Justice at Stake and Justice at Stake Campaign Deputy Executive Director Liz Seaton issued the following statement in response to statements and proposals aimed at the U.S. Supreme Court in the wake of recent rulings:

"The U.S. Supreme Court's rulings on health care and marriage last week have unleashed a torrent of political attacks, and today's rulings may as well. To date we have seen calls to impeach the justices or alter their terms of service, calls to strip the Court of its authority, statements urging public officials to disregard the rulings, and more. Disturbingly, we have seen one presidential candidate call for ending the life tenure of Supreme Court justices, and another referring to the Court's actions as ‘judicial tyranny.'

"These reactions are antithetical to the concept of fair and impartial courts. Regarding life tenure, the founding fathers prescribed it for federal judges precisely to allow judges to rule on the facts and the law, insulated from political pressure or threats of retaliation for a particular decision. As to the other types of political pressure some are applying we say this: in our pluralistic society, there will always be decisions by the courts with which some disagree. For the courts to do their jobs, we need them to always resist pressure, intimidation and threats from politicians and partisans who want them to rule a certain way. Courts must be able to continue in the role we all rely on: as protectors and defenders of all our rights under the law and the Constitution."

Justice at Stake is a nonpartisan, nonprofit campaign working to keep America's courts fair and impartial. Justice at Stake and its 50-plus state and national partners educate the public, and work for reforms to keep politics and special interests out of the courtroom - so judges can protect our Constitution, our rights and the rule of law. For more about Justice at Stake, go to www.justiceatstake.org or www.gavelgrab.org.