U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson stated Sunday that she sees no “persuasive reason” why the nation’s highest court should not be subject to an enforceable code of conduct. This makes her the second justice to publicly support some form of ethics reform following a year of heightened scrutiny.
In her first broadcast interview since joining the Supreme Court in 2022, Justice Jackson told CBS News Sunday Morning that it is crucial for judges to adhere to ethical obligations. “A binding code of ethics is pretty standard for judges,” she remarked, adding that she has “no problem” being subject to such a code. However, she refrained from commenting on specific ethics reform proposals introduced by Democratic lawmakers or supported by President Joe Biden.
Jackson High Court Ethics : Ethical Standards and Public Scrutiny
Justice Jackson’s comments come after months of intense public debate over Supreme Court ethics, particularly following a ProPublica report in April 2023 that exposed Justice Clarence Thomas’ long-standing relationship with billionaire Republican donor Harlan Crow. The report revealed that Justice Thomas had accepted luxury trips and gifts from Crow without disclosing them in his financial filings, sparking widespread calls for reform.
