President Joe Biden has suggested he will appoint progressive justices to the Supreme Court if he wins a second term in the White House in November.
“The next president, they’re going to be able to appoint a couple of justices… Look, if in fact we’re able to change some of the justices when they retire and put in really progressive judges like we’ve always had, tell me that won’t change your life,” he said during a campaign rally in Philadelphia on Wednesday.
As a Canadian, that sounds even worse to me, lol. Elected judges? That’s insanity. Judges should never be making decisions based on political expedience.
Judges should be chosen by people who are experts in the law based on their knowledge and experience.
In Canada, I suppose it’s loosely political, but it’s several steps removed from direct political appointment. The PM and cabinet appoint someone to be the head of the judiciary, confirmed by the Governor General, and Supreme Court judges can be held accountable by the Senate and House in cases of misconduct.
Electing judges would make it worse, not better, imho.
The best solution I’ve heard for the US wouldn’t require a constitutional amendment, it’s to make the Supreme Court position last 18 years before becoming a Justice Emeritus (or whatever) that’s mostly ceremonial. That takes away the incentive to stuff the judiciary with young judges, and adds stability that each presidential term is 2 justice appointments on a slowly rolling basis.