The Long Road to Establishing an Ethics Code

The US Supreme Court, set up in 1790, finally imposed an ethics code on itself after 233 years. The code was prompted by Justice Clarence Thomas’ free luxury trips, causing embarrassment to his colleagues. However, the code lacks enforcement, oversight, and penalties for violations. There is also a loophole allowing justices to collect large advances from book publishers. The court did address how to handle friend-of-the-court briefs, but there are concerns about its effectiveness.