The legal system should get more political, argued Cruz. Ted Cruz, Texas Republican and chairman of the Senate Judiciary subcommittee on oversight, agency action, federal rights and federal courts.
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“We are now witnessing the shameful results of the court forcing its own unlimited right of abortion onto the Constitution”, Cruz said.
“It’s not surprising that Supreme Court terms limits are supported across party lines since, as a nation, we’ve always felt it’s wrong for a handful of individuals to hold on to huge power for decades on end, as is the current trend at the high court”, said Gabe Roth, executive director of Fix the Court, a nonpartisan advocacy group pushing for justices to voluntarily step down after 18 years, reports Reuters.
The poll showed broad understanding of the court, with 68 percent saying they knew justices are appointed, not elected, and 60 percent saying they knew the appointments are for life.
“It has declared itself, in effect, a super-legislature”, Cruz said.
Cruz’s presidential bid, based largely on an effort to court social conservatives and staunch anti-Washington voters, has flagged in recent months amid the rise of billionaire Donald Trump, whose jump in polls has accompanied a drop for Cruz.
The two big rulings in June were widely welcomed by liberals.
Whether you agree or disagree with the policy outcomes, Cruz said those who believe in democracy and the Constitution should be “horrified”.
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In addition to retention elections, Cruz said he would be open to “reasonable proposals” on judicial term limits. John C. Eastman, a former clerk for Justice Clarence Thomas and former dean of Chapman University Fowler School of Law, said he rejected the idea of term limits because it could just lead to one activist judge being replaced by another activist. Rick Santorum, who has launched a long shot bid for the 2016 GOP nomination, also has floated the election idea, while Mike Huckabee has pushed term limits.
