Chief Justice Roberts: ‘Hostility towards judges is dangerous and it’s got to stop’

(The Center Square) – Personal hostility toward judges can be dangerous and has to stop, Chief Justice John Roberts said Tuesday, when he discussed a range of issues facing the judicial branch at a Rice University Baker Institute of Public Policy event in Houston.

Speaking with senior judge of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas Lee Rosenthal, Roberts said judges often face criticism over the decisions they make from the bench.

“Often when any of us issue an opinion, there’s often a dissent. You get used to the criticism right away and it can very much be healthy. It’s important that our decisions are subjected to scrutiny. The problem, sometimes, is that the criticism can move from a focus on legal analysis to personalities,” Roberts said. Criticism doesn’t come from “just any one political perspective,” but “it’s more directed in a personal way and that frankly can be actually quite dangerous.

“Judges work very hard to get it right and if they don’t, their opinions ...