Demonstrators briefly disrupted an event in which Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett admitted that ethics rules for the nation's highest court are needed.
The Supreme Court justice made the comments during a visit to the University of Minnesota Law School, where she participated in a moderated discussion with professor Robert Stein, according to the New York Times.
“It would be a good idea for us to do it, particularly so that we can communicate to the public exactly what it is that we are doing in a clearer way,” she said, adding that “all nine justices are very committed to the highest standards of ethical conduct.”
Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas faced severe scrutiny after it was revealed he had accepted lavish trips from and sold allegedly overpriced property to his billionaire friend Harlan Crow.
Likewise, Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito received blowback after it was revealed that the flew around on hedge fund billionaire Paul Singer's private jet. Mr Singer regularly had business that ended up in the court.
The Supreme Court justice's discussion was disrupted when a group of demonstrators on a balcony overlooking the stage unfurled a banner and held up signs opposing the court's decision to overturn Roe V Wade.
One of the signs read "Abort the Court."
The protesters began chanting “not the court, not the state, people must decide their fate" from their seats before law enforcement officers removed them from the venue.
Protesters interrupt the session as U.S. Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett speaks with Professor Robert A. Stein at Northrop Auditorium as part of the Stein Lecture Series in Minneapolis, Monday, Oct. 16, 2023.— (AP)
Ms Barrett faced sharp criticism and opposition from Democrats and liberals who feared her conservative and religious background would manifest in rulings that would restrict personal liberties and reflect moral convictions rather than legal interpretation.
Mr Stein referenced her role as a sort of capstone for the conservative-majority court, but Ms Barrett said despite the justices' disagreements, the court remained a collegial institution.
“The fire gets put on the page, but it is not expressed in interpersonal relationships,” she said. “We are in the building with each other. Justices have lunch every day that we have oral argument and every day after conference.”
Mr Stein ended the night by asking Ms Barrett if she enjoyed sitting on the nation's highest court.
“It has its ups and downs,” she said. “Enjoying myself isn’t quite the right word that I would use. But it’s a privilege to serve, and I have no regrets about undertaking the service.”
