Norton to Call on Supreme Court to Adopt Ethics Code at Press Conference on Tuesday

WASHINGTON, D.C. – As the Supreme Court prepares to hear controversial cases on the Affordable Care Act and affirmative action, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) will join the Alliance for Justice and Common Cause at a press conference in front of the Supreme Court tomorrow, March 6, at 11 a.m. to call on the Court to adopt the Code of Conduct for United States Judges. In November, Norton, who has argued before the Court, introduced a resolution calling on Supreme Court Justices to apply to themselves the ethics code that applies to all other federal judges. The Code of Conduct, adopted by the Judicial Conference of the United States, an administrative arm of the federal judiciary chaired by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, provides standards for recusals, avoiding conflicts of interest, and various other ethics matters that arise in the administration of justice.

"Particularly considering that the Chief Justice has said that justices ‘consult' the Code of Conduct, the Court should lead by example and announce that, like other federal judges, Supreme Court Justices will abide by the Code," Norton said. "There is nothing to lose and much to gain. It is inconceivable that the Court does not feel bound by the Code's canons, such as performing duties impartially. As members of Congress and the public increasingly express concerns about the Court, whether warranted or not, adopting the Code can only reinforce confidence in the Court."

The Code of Conduct does not apply to Supreme Court Justices, who have unreviewable authority to determine whether conflicts of interest would undermine their ability to hear and decide a case fairly and without the appearance of bias. The Norton resolution seeks to further public integrity and bolster confidence in an institution that in recent years has been criticized concerning conflicts of interest and whose members have been subject to demands for recusal from cases.

Published: March 5, 2011