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10h ago

Roberts’ Year-End Report Hails Constitution, Skirts Court Controversies

Roberts uses a history lesson to stress judicial independence before a consequential 2026 term.

With the Supreme Court Building under renovations, the justices hear oral arguments on President Donald Trump's push to expand control over independent federal agencies, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Monday, Dec. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson attends inauguration ceremonies in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 20, 2025, in Washington, D.C.
Chief Justice John Roberts on May 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File)
Chief Justice John Roberts attends President Donald Trump's address to a joint session of Congress in the House Chamber of the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday, March 4, 2025.

Overview

  • Invoking Calvin Coolidge, the chief justice said the Constitution and Declaration remain “firm and unshaken” and emphasized judges’ role as a counter‑majoritarian check.
  • Roberts’ 13-page report avoided direct discussion of Trump-era disputes, threats to judges, or ethics scandals, as critics again questioned the Court’s voluntary Code of Conduct and recusal practices.
  • Reporting notes the conservative majority sided with the administration in more than 80% of 2025 emergency appeals, intensifying scrutiny of the Court’s expanded “shadow” docket.
  • The year-end materials show shifting workloads: Supreme Court filings fell 9% to 3,856, federal appeals rose 5%, and criminal defendant filings jumped 13%.
  • The Court’s 2026 calendar includes pivotal cases on birthright citizenship, presidential tariff power, and limits on removing officials at independent agencies.