Justice Jackson Is Open to Binding Supreme Court Ethics Code

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson said she’s open to the idea of an enforceable code of conduct for the US Supreme Court after calls from President Joe Biden for binding ethics rules and term limits.

“A binding code of ethics is pretty standard for judges,” Jackson said in an interview with “CBS News Sunday Morning.” Said she hasn’t seen a “persuasive reason as to why the court is different than the other courts.”

The Supreme Court adopted its first formal code of conduct in November 2023, but faced criticism because it had no way to enforce its rules.

Jackson is the second justice to signal support for a binding code. In July, Justice Elena Kagan said the court “should try to figure out some mechanism for doing this,” suggesting a committee of well respected judges to review the justices’ ethics decisions.

The justices have come under scrutiny following reports that Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito accepted lavish vacations, private jet flights, and other gifts without reporting them. Public confidence in the court has reached a historic low.

Jackson though, declined to discuss the alleged ethics lapses by Thomas and Alito, saying she wasn’t going to comment on “other justices’ interpretation of the ethics rules.”

But she said the ethics rules are all about ensuring impartiality.

“People are entitled to know if you’re accepting gifts as a judge so that they can evaluate whether or not your opinions are impartial,” Jackson said.

Jackson’s interview, which aired Sunday morning, is the first of many public appearances the newest justice is schedule to make in the coming weeks to promote her new memoir, “Lovely One.”