Six in 10 judges support term limits for Supreme Court, study finds

An informal survey published this month by the National Judicial College suggests that most judges support term limits for Supreme Court justices.

Six in 10 judges said there should be term limits, while 40% supported keeping lifetime appointments.

It’s an issue being studied by President Biden’s Supreme Court commission, which is looking at ending lifetime tenure and adding more justices to the high court to counter the court’s current 6-3 conservative majority.

The commission is expected to make its recommendations public in a report next month.   

Of the 632 judges who responded to the National Judicial College survey, the study found that 33% backed 11- to 19-year limits, while 18% said justices should serve 20 years or more. Ten percent said justices should serve for only 10 years or less. 

“The pressure would be off for a president to feel that they can change the course of history,” wrote Oregon’s Senior Judge Mary M. James of Salem, commenting on judicial appointments. 

Nearly 200 judges left feedback on the survey, which included some suggestions such as allowing past judges to continue advising the court and staggering term limits, NJC noted.

The National Judicial College surveys its more than 12,000 judicial alumni each month with an informal, non-scientific question. There is no margin of error since the poll is informal and non-scientific.