the Supreme Court a symbol of Justice a beacon of impartiality yet today it faces a crisis public trust once unwavering is eroding Americans are questioning the very institution they once revered recent polls paint a grim picture a Gallup poll found that only 25% of Americans have confidence in the Supreme Court this is an alltime low the reasons are clear partisan rulings ethical concerns and a perceived lack of transparency the Court's legitimacy rests on public trust this trust is built on the belief that justices are impartial Arbiters of the law but recent events have shaken this Foundation the Court's decisions on abortion gun control and voting rights have been deeply divisive this crisis of confidence demands action the Supreme Court cannot function effectively if the public doubts its Integrity this is where Justice Elena kagan's proposal for an enforcable Ethics code comes in [Music] Justice Kagan a respected voice on the court has emerged as a leading advocate for reform she argues that the Supreme Court needs a clear and enforcable ethics code why because right now it's the only Court in the country without one this lack of a code Kagan argues undermines the Court's legitimacy it creates the appearance that justices are above the law this is unacceptable all branches of government including the Judiciary must be held accountable Kagan proposed code is modeled after the code of conduct for United States judges this code sets standards for ethical Behavior including Financial disclosures recusals and interactions with parties involved in cases by adopting a similar code Kagan believes the Supreme Court can begin to restore public trust it would demonstrate a commitment to transparency and accountability it would show that the justices are willing to hold themselves to the same standards as other judges the need for an Ethics code is not theoretical recent history is replete with examples of justices engaging in behavior that raised ethical concerns these incidents have fueled public distrust and calls for reform one prominent example involves Justice Clarence Thomas and his wife Guinea Thomas Guinea Thomas's involvement in efforts to overturn the 2020 election raised serious questions about Justice Thomas's impartiality many argued that he should have recused himself from cases related to the elction ction another example is the case of Justice Samuel Alo he faced criticism for accepting lavish trips from a billionaire who later had cases before the court these incidents and others like them have eroded public confidence in the Court's Integrity Justice kagan's call for an Ethics code is a direct response to these concerns she argues that a clear code would help prevent future ethical lapses it would provide guidance to justices and make it easier to hold them accountable for their actions