Supreme Court Chief Justice Nominee John Roberts' Opening Statement at his Confirmation Hearings

This video originally aired on Monday, September 12, 2005.

About This Video

John Roberts speaks to the panel of Senators about the role of an independent judiciary, how he will decide cases if confirmed and compares the job of a judge to the role of an umpire.

Discussion Questions

  1. What does an independent judiciary allow for according to John Roberts? How will John Roberts decide cases? What influences does he identify? What will he not be influenced by? What does John Roberts mean when he says he will decide cases “based on the record, according to the rule of law…”?
  2. What do you think Roberts meant by comparing the role of a judge to that of an umpire? Why won’t he “pitch or bat”? Who pitches and bats in our system?
  3. What metaphor does Roberts use to illustrate his feeling about the prospect of serving on the Supreme Court?
  4. How does this metaphor contribute to your understanding of the role of Supreme Court Justices?

Keywords

JUDICIAL, Judicial Theory and Philosophy, Justices, Nominations and Confirmation, U.S. CONSTITUTION, U.S. Supreme Court

Related Subjects/Topics

  • Checks and Balances
  • Rule of Law
  • U.S. Senate
  • U.S. Supreme Court

Speakers

  • Judge John G Roberts, Jr