US Supreme Court Staying With Audio Livestream for Arguments

The US Supreme Court will continue its pandemic-era practice of livestreaming audio for oral arguments for the new term starting Oct. 3.

The move is a win for transparency advocates who have long urged the justices to make arguments more accessible to the public.

“The Court will provide a live audio feed of all scheduled oral arguments for the upcoming term,” the court said Wednesday in a statement.

The court first provided real-time audio streaming in 2020 when the pandemic prompted justices to hear arguments remotely. Livestreaming of arguments continued last term after the justices returned to the courtroom with the building still closed to the public but otherwise open for business.

The court also confirmed that it will open the courthouse to the public for arguments, after Chief Justice John Roberts signaled Sept. 9 that the justices would do so. “The building will otherwise be closed to the public until further notice,” the court said Wednesday about access to historical exhibits and other features.

Security fencing around the Supreme Court erected last spring and similar to the barrier placed around the Capitol after the Jan. 6, 2021, riot came down in late August.

Demonstrations outside the court and the justices’ homes over the decision in June to end the constitutional right to abortion have dissipated. There were also threats reported at the time of the abortion ruling but the court has declined to comment on where security matters stand now.