Chief Justice John Roberts on Wednesday defended judicial independence as necessary to “check the excesses of the Congress or the executive," amid attacks on federal judges who have slowed President Donald Trump’s agenda.

“Judicial independence is crucial,” Roberts, the leader of the Supreme Court and the entire federal judiciary, said at a gathering of judges and lawyers in his hometown.

He described the creation of three co-equal branches of government as the Constitution’s one innovation. “That innovation doesn’t work if the judiciary is not independent,” he said.

The 70-year-old chief justice largely repeated things he has said previously. But his comments, in response to questions from another federal judge, drew applause from the 600 people who gathered to mark the 125th anniversary of federal courts in the Western District of New York.

Asked about comments from Trump and his allies supporting the impeachment of judges because of their rulings, Roberts largely repeated the statement he issued in March. “Impeachment is not how you register disagreement with a decision,” he said.

  • FireTower@lemmy.world
    21·
    22 hours ago

    Your question is vague and it would be hard to give you an apt response, if you rephrase it with more clarity I’ll get back to you.

    I was not talking about case law. I was talking about text. But if you want my thoughts on prior precedents let me know which ones.