Judicial Independence Is Key to Checking Congress and the President: Chief Justice Roberts

His comments came after he said in March that judges should not be impeached for decisions that officeholders disagree with.

Chief Justice John Roberts attends the State of the Union address in the House Chamber of the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Feb. 7, 2023. Jacquelyn Martin/Pool/Getty Images

Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts on May 7 emphasized the importance of maintaining the judiciary’s independence as a check on government power during a visit to his birthplace of Buffalo, New York.

Roberts, who presides over Supreme Court arguments and oversees the federal judiciary, was participating in an on-stage conversation with U.S. District Judge Lawrence Vilardo amid the 125th anniversary of the federal district court in western New York.