Letter: Five Principles to Improve Judicial Accountability and Efficiency
Dear Chairmen Graham and Nadler
and Ranking Members Feinstein and Collins:
February 19, 2019
We write in
support of increased transparency and accountability in our nation’s federal
courts and ask that you advance legislation this Congress that achieves these
goals.
We believe that carefully crafted
reform legislation will result in a better
public understanding of, and respect
for, the judiciary. We also believe
that it is critical that the ethics rules and disclosure requirements that apply to the judiciary are equally applied to the Supreme
Court and that no entity within our third branch
of government is, or is perceived
to be, above the law.
We are grateful that so many Members—approximately one-fourth of Congress—supported legislation last session to improve openness at all levels of the
judiciary. Some of those bills would have required live streaming from
appellate courtrooms, while others would have enhanced public access to court records.
Others still would have authorized more rigorous ethics and recusal rules
for the Supreme Court.
Though we may not have supported
every provision in these bills,
they represent the growing interest
we and members of the public have in improved judicial accountability
and efficiency.
As you
consider reforms in these areas, we urge you to craft legislation that
addresses five principles:
- Improved
broadcast access
To ensure the public can follow the work of the
judiciary as it occurs
- Improved
access to court documents
To ensure the public can retrieve federal case
filings with greater ease and at a lower cost
- Improved
workplace conduct rules
To ensure the judiciary promotes a harassment-free
work environment
- Improved
oversight and ethics rules
To ensure
all federal judges,
including Supreme Court
justices, follow a robust ethics
rubric, post their annual financial statements online
and explain their
periodic recusals
- Improved
judicial administration
To ensure the judiciary has the staff and resources
it needs to carry out its mission
We hope to
serve as a resource for you as you recommence this important work in the 116th Congress, and we look
forward to discussing how these principles can help guide your legislative
agenda.
Sincerely,
Fix the Court
American Society of Magazine Editors
American Society of News Editors
Associated Press Media Editors
Association of Alternative Newsmedia
Electronic Privacy Information Center
Project on Government Oversight
Free Law Project
Government Accountability Project
Government Information Watch
National Press Photographers Association
National Security Counselors
R Street Institute
Niskanen Center
Open the Government
Republicans for the Rule of Law
Stand Up Republic
Tully Center for Free Speech at Syracuse
Univ.