Speaking on CBS News Sunday Morning, Jackson said she has not seen a “persuasive” argument for the Supreme Court lacking a “binding” ethics code, drawing a comparison between the highest court in the land and lower courts.
“A binding code of ethics is pretty standard for judges. And so I guess the question is, ‘Is the Supreme Court any different?’ And I guess I have not seen a persuasive reason as to why the court is different from the other courts,” she said.
Pressed by host Norah O’Donnell on whether she would support an “enforcement mechanism” for the ethics code, Jackson said she is “considering supporting it as a general matter,” but would not get into specific ideas she may have for it.
“I’m not going to get into commenting on particular policy proposals. But, from my perspective, I don’t have any problem with an enforceable code,” the justice said.
The comments come a little more than a month after fellow left-leaning Justice Elena Kagan said at a California conference she supports creating a new “mechanism” to enforce the ethics code that the Supreme Court adopted in November of last year. Kagan said this could include “some sort of committee of highly respected judges with a great deal of experience and a reputation for fairness,” who would then be in charge of enforcing the code.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Before being adopted in November 2023, an ethics code was something Supreme Court justices considered for years. Pressure to adopt one was heightened after ProPublica reported on purported ethics conflicts involving Republican-appointed Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito. The allegations against Thomas said he went on trips paid for by Republican megadonor Harlan Crow, while the allegations against Alito focused on a 2008 fishing trip he went on with conservative hedge fund manager Paul Singer.
President Joe Biden unveiled a proposal in July to reform the Supreme Court, which included a “binding” code of conduct for the court.
