Some requests for the Chief
on Oct 19, 2005 at 1:56 pm
News organizations have urged the new Chief Justice, John G. Roberts, Jr., to make more of the Supreme Court’s work accessible to the public and the media — including providing same-day availability of the audiotapes of all of the Court’s oral arguments. In a letter to the Chief Justice, dated Oct. 7, the groups have used Roberts’ entry on the Court as an opening to renew a number of suggestions that in the past have produced few results.
The suggestion that seems least likely to succeed this time is for television and/or still cameras in the Courtroom for oral argument. In the past, the Court has treated this issue as one that must be decided by a favorable unanimous vote, and that has not been forthcoming. Justice David H. Souter, for example, has routinely — and publicly — made clear his vehement opposition to television coverage of arguments.
Here are the other suggestions the groups made for improving “transparency and public access”:
1. Immediate release of the written transcripts of oral arguments (now available usually 7 to 10 days after argument day).
2. Either increase the number of cases for which audiotapes or arguments are released on the day of argument, or release all audiotapes on a same-day basis.
3. Public release of the reasons Justices recuse from particpating in cases.
4. Public release of more detailed information about the individual Justices’ health.
5. Public release of the Justices’ plans to make public appearances.
