Justice Barrett Defends Comments on Jackson in Controversial Ruling
Justice Amy Coney Barrett addressed her contentious remarks regarding universal injunctions on Thursday, asserting that her critique of Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson was justified.
During a discussion with Bari Weiss from the Free Press, Barrett explained that she felt her sharp comments were necessary to provide an appropriate response in the majority opinion she penned in June.
“I believe Justice Jackson articulated her argument quite passionately, which deserved a reply,” Barrett stated.
Barrett, nominated by former President Trump, participated in an hour-long dialogue at Lincoln Center in Manhattan, marking the beginning of her promotional appearances for her new book, "Listening to the Law," while the Supreme Court remains in recess.
“I generally avoid being provocative for its own sake. However, as a New Orleans native, a little spice can be enjoyable,” Barrett remarked regarding her opinion on universal injunctions.
Her comments were prompted by Weiss’s inquiry about a notable emergency order where the Supreme Court halted lower courts from enforcing injunctions against the government.
The case, Trump v. CASA, highlighted the ongoing friction between the judiciary and the Trump administration, as lower courts frequently obstructed significant policies, with the Supreme Court often intervening to overturn such rulings.
In her decision to prohibit universal injunctions, Barrett accused Jackson of embracing an “imperial judiciary” and advised against dwelling on her dissent.
Speaking to an engaged audience, Barrett expressed her “deepest respect for Jackson” and emphasized that her critique was not personal.
“We simply have differing views on the extent of judicial authority,” Barrett noted.
“I challenge concepts, not individuals,” she added, crediting the late Justice Antonin Scalia, whom she once served as a law clerk.
Barrett, who occasionally attracts attention for diverging from her conservative counterparts, affirmed that camaraderie exists among all justices.
In a rapid-fire segment of questions, she was asked to encapsulate each justice in a single word.
“Chief,” she immediately replied for Justice John Roberts. For Justice Neil Gorsuch, she chose “out west,” while she labeled Justice Brett Kavanaugh as “sports.”
When it came to Jackson, after a brief pause, Barrett described her as “actor, Broadway.”
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