US President Joe Biden presented a proposal for changes to the US Supreme Court and also called for the ratification of an amendment to the Constitution that limits presidential immunity.
The corresponding proposals are published on the website of the White House.
The Biden administration said that in recent years, the US Supreme Court "overturned long-established norms for the protection of fundamental rights." In particular, it is about banning abortion and granting presidents broad immunity from prosecution for crimes they committed in office.
It is also noted that "ethical scandals" involving some judges have raised doubts about fairness and independence among the public. Therefore, Biden proposed three new reforms.
Restrictions on the immunity of the president. Biden called for an amendment to the Constitution that would provide that no president is immune from federal criminal prosecution, trial, conviction or punishment based on previous tenure as president.
Limitation of the term of office of judges of the Supreme Court. Now they are appointed for life. Biden proposes that the president appoint a judge every two years, and the term of office be limited to 18 years.
Introduction of a mandatory code of conduct for the Supreme Court. Biden believes that the US Congress should pass mandatory standards of conduct and ethics that require judges to disclose gifts, refrain from public political activities and remove themselves from cases in which they or their relatives have a conflict of interest.
Why is this important?
Bidenʼs call came after the US Supreme Court ruled in March 2024 that Donald Trump is eligible to run for president, overturning a previous ruling by the Colorado Supreme Court. The decision came a day before Super Tuesday, when Colorado and 14 other states and one territory held presidential primaries.
A total of 91 charges have been brought against Trump in four criminal cases. Among other things, it is about illegal handling of secret documents, an attempt to falsify election results and illegal spending of funds collected for the presidential campaign.
In addition, judges of the US Constitutional Court have been involved in a number of ethical scandals involving Republicans. For example, back in 2023, Judge Clarence Thomas was suspected of accepting luxury trips from Republican megadonor Harlan Crowe for years without reporting it in his tax returns.