TERM LIMIT FOR SUPREME COURT JUDGES

I have initiated an online petition proposing an 8-year term limit for Supreme Court Justices followed by a US Senate reconfirmation. Please click the link at the bottom of this page to read and sign if you want to see court reform and support my ideas.

The Supreme Court of the United States of America consists of the chief justice and 8 associate justices. Each justice has a lifetime tenure, meaning they remain on the court until they die, retire, resign, or are removed from office through the impeachment process. When a vacancy occurs, the president, with the advice and consent of the United States Senate, appoints a new justice. Each justice has a single vote in deciding the cases argued before the court. “Article II, Section 2, Clause 2 of the United States Constitution, known as the Appointments Clause, empowers the president to nominate and, with the confirmation of the United States Senate, appoint justices to the Supreme Court. Article III, Section 1 provides that justices may serve for the remainder of their lives unless they are impeached and convicted by Congress, resign, or retire. Among the current members, Clarence Thomas is the longest-serving justice with a tenure of 30 years.
In the true spirit of democracy, we should consider term limits for Supreme Court justices. I propose the term should last for 8 years, after which each justice will need to be reconfirmed by the US Senate if they are to serve another 8 years.

The current justices are diligently deciding the issues brought before them; however, those who were appointed 20 to 30 years ago may not be able to fully grasp the current pulse of the nation. Their decisions could very well be influenced by the opinions and beliefs that were broadly held at the time of their appointments. A term limit of 8 years, followed by a senate reconfirmation, will help ensure that we have justices who are more likely in sync with the current pulse of the country and its people. That is true democracy, electing and reelecting representatives based on the current needs of the people and the nation.

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