Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch responded cautiously to President Biden’s proposals for Supreme Court reforms, emphasizing the importance of an independent judiciary, especially for unpopular individuals.
He warned against turning judicial matters into political issues during an election year.
“It’s there for the moments when the spotlight’s on you, when the government’s coming after you. And don’t you want a ferociously independent judge and a jury of your peers to make those decisions? Isn’t that your right as an American?” Gorsuch said. “And so I just say, be careful.”
Justice Neil Gorsuch on proposed reforms for the Supreme Court:
“I just say, be careful.”
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) August 4, 2024
Gorsuch also expressed concern about the overwhelming number of laws in the U.S., which can lead to unintentional violations by ordinary citizens, citing the complexities of the tax code as an example.
“As a judge now for 18 years, I just came to see case after case in which ordinary Americans just trying to live their lives, not hurt anybody, raise their families, were just getting whacked by laws unexpectedly,” Gorsuch said.
“It turns out for a period of time they were giving wrong answers about a third of the time,” Gorsuch said.
He advocated for reliance on the Constitution to resolve conflicts with other government branches and highlighted the need for mutual trust among Americans, suggesting that common ground can be found through dialogue.
“My good friend [retired Justice] Stephen Breyer says, ‘If I listen to almost anyone talk for long enough, I’m gonna find something they say that we can agree on,'” Gorsuch said. “Maybe we should start there.”
