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 Roberts, a conservative justice who was the swing vote on a 2012
Supreme Court decision that upheld President Barack Obama's
signature healthcare law, told members of the American Bar
Association that they have a role to play in maintaining the
public's faith in the U.S. political system.
"We live in an era in which sharp partisan divides within our
political branches have shaken public faith in government across the
board," Roberts told a crowd of several hundred ABA members in
Boston. "We in the judiciary must also look to the bar for broader
assistance in maintaining the public's confidence in the integrity
of our legal system."
With polling showing Americans holding a low opinion of both
President Barack Obama and Congress, Roberts, who was appointed
chief justice in 2005 by then-President George W. Bush, said courts
and lawyers must try to lift themselves above partisan passions.
"Lawyers fulfill their professional calling to its fullest extent
when they rise above particular partisan debates and participate as
problem solvers, whether through the ABA’s committees, through pro
bono work, through public service or simply by helping the public
understand the nature of the role that courts play in civil life, a
role distinct from that of the political branches,” Roberts said.
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In a speech largely focused on the Magna Carta, the seminal 1215
English charter of liberties, he called on his audience to remember
that every generation has faced political roadblocks.
"Magna Carta's core principles of justice remain relevant today and
worth defending," Roberts said. "No generation is spared its
challenges."
(Reporting by Scott Malone; Editing by Will Dunham)
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