After the news that the U.S. Supreme Court will adopt an ethics code, Earthjustice Senior Vice President for Programs Sambhav Sankar issued the following statement:

“While we were excited to hear the Court had developed an explicit code of ethics, our initial review leaves us mostly disappointed. Numerous reports of ethical lapses, including questionable gifts and financial support given to Supreme Court Justices, have contributed to increasing public distrust of the Court. Earthjustice has called for an enforceable ethics code and additional reporting and oversight measures to restore confidence in our nation’s highest court and bolster its legitimacy. This effort falls far short.

“Chief Justice John Roberts admits that these rules are nothing new and states that the Justices are already following them. If that’s the case, then these new rules are woefully inadequate. If the Supreme Court won’t hold itself accountable, Congress must pass a meaningful, enforceable code that would restore accountability and transparency to the Court. The Supreme Court should set the gold standard for judicial ethics. The Chief Justice’s statement admits that they’re not even aiming for bronze.”