Joe Biden unveils plans to reform the US Supreme Court

US President Joe Biden on Monday announced plans for urgent reforms to the conservative-dominated Supreme Court, in a bold but long-term move as he seeks to leave his mark on his final six months in office.

The 81-year-old Democrat, who will unveil his plans during a speech in Austin, Texas, is calling for a constitutional amendment to overturn the Supreme Court's recent decision supporting Donald Trump's claims of presidential immunity.

He also wants to limit the number of terms of Supreme Court justices, who currently serve for life, following shock decisions such as the repeal of the Roe v. Wade ruling that had guaranteed the right to abortion across the country for decades.

Joe Biden is also calling for a binding code of ethics after a series of scandals.

“This nation was founded on a simple but profound principle: No one is above the law. Not the president of the United States. Not a justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. No one,” the American president said in an opinion piece published Monday.

“What is happening now is not normal and undermines public confidence in the decisions of the Court, including those that impact individual freedoms. We now find ourselves in a breach,” he said.

US President Joe Biden delivers remarks regarding the Supreme Court on July 1, 2024 at the White House in Washington © AFP – Mandel NGAN

The White House said Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, the likely Democratic presidential nominee in November, “look forward to working with Congress on these projects.” But they have virtually no hope of getting through a deeply divided US Congress during Joe Biden's presidency.

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But they reflect Mr Biden’s growing frustration with a court stacked with judges appointed by Mr Trump, and as opinion polls show a growing loss of public trust in the institution.

– “Educating the public” –

Mr Biden has previously resisted calls to overhaul or reform the court, which is made up of nine justices who are appointed for life. But the White House has indicated that Mr Biden will now seek to limit Supreme Court justices’ terms to 18 years, with new justices appointed every two years.

That would “reduce the risk that a single presidency will impose undue influence on future generations,” a fact sheet said.

This year, the Court has significantly reduced the power of federal agencies while partially ruling in early July in favor of Republican candidate Trump's immunity requests.

The latter is using this decision to challenge, among other things, his recent criminal conviction in a case of paying smuggled money to a porn star.

Joe Biden is also seeking the adoption of a “binding and enforceable” ethics code similar to those that apply to federal judges.

Of the nine justices on the Court, six are conservatives and half of them were appointed under Donald Trump.

The Supreme Court has been rocked by ethics scandals involving some of its members, ultraconservatives.

Justice Clarence Thomas recently admitted that two lavish vacations in 2019 were paid for by a billionaire Republican donor.

The 76-year-old Supreme Court justice has also ignored calls to recuse himself from cases related to the 2020 presidential election, after his wife helped campaign to keep Mr. Trump in power despite his electoral defeat.

Justice Samuel Alito has rejected calls to recuse himself from some cases related to Donald Trump.

Steven Schwinn, a law professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago, told AFP that Mr. Biden has a “close to zero” chance of passing this project but that he was probably trying to “raise public awareness” and “present the Supreme Court as an electoral issue.”

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