Weary that the reputation of the Judiciary has taken a hit following the confirmation of Justice Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court, Chief Justice John Roberts has stepped up to promise Americans that the judiciary will remain independent, free of partisan interests.
Speaking at the University of Minnesota, Roberts told a packed auditorium audience that “the contentious events in Washington in recent weeks” will not force the Judiciary into a becoming a political puppet.
“I have great respect for our public officials. After all, they speak for the people, and that commands a certain degree of humility from those of us in the judicial branch who do not,” Roberts said. “We do not speak for the people, but we speak for the Constitution. Our role is very clear: We are to interpret the laws and Constitution of the United States and ensure that the political branches act within them.”
“That job obviously requires independence from the political branches,” he continued, according to HuffPo.
Expanding on the importance of this independent judiciary, Roberts noted that the Supreme Court would be “very different” if it were a political tool of agendas.
“Without independence, there is no Brown v. Board of Education,” he said. “Without independence, there is no West Virginia v. Barnette, where the court held that the government could not compel school children to salute the flag.”
When the Supreme Court loses its independence, Roberts said, it always errs greatly, as in the case of the1944 Korematsu case, which upheld the internment of Japanese.
“As our newest colleague put it, we do not sit on opposite sides of an aisle, we do not caucus in separate rooms, we do not serve one party or one interest, we serve one nation,” Roberts said. “I want to assure all of you that we will continue to do that, to the best of our abilities, whether times are calm or contentious.”