US President Joe Biden has signed an executive order establishing a commission to study the possibility of adding more seats to the Supreme Court and other reforms.
The Presidential Commission on the Supreme Court of the US will be co-chaired by former White House counsel Bob Bauer and Cristina Rodriguez, a Yale law school professor and former Deputy Assistant Attorney General, reports Xinhua news agency.
The commissioners comprise legal experts, former federal judges and court practitioners from across the political aisle, according to a White House statement issued on Friday.
"The Commission's purpose is to provide an analysis of the principal arguments in the contemporary public debate for and against Supreme Court reform, including an appraisal of the merits and legality of particular reform proposals," the White House said.
"The topics it will examine include the genesis of the reform debate; the Court's role in the Constitutional system; the length of service and turnover of justices on the Court; the membership and size of the Court; and the Court's case selection, rules, and practices," it added.
The Commission should submit a report to Biden within 180 days of the date of the its first public meeting, according to the executive order.
Expanding the Supreme Court has been championed by progressive Democrats but resolutely opposed by Republicans.
The idea came into spotlight during the final days leading up to the 2020 presidential election when former liberal justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died and then President Donald Trump rushed to tap Amy Coney Barrett, a conservative, to fill the vacancy.
Biden himself remained cautious when asked whether he would explicitly support adding more members to the now nine-seat bench, but he made reforming the highest court a campaign promise.
--IANS
ksk/
(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Dear Reader,
Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance.
We, however, have a request.
As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed.
Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard.
Digital Editor
RECOMMENDED FOR YOU