US Supreme Court Closes Its Historic Front Door to the Public; 2 Justices Openly Disagree
In a move that has provoked a rare open disagreement among the justices of the U.S. Supreme Court, the nation’s top court will close its historic front door to incoming members of the public, starting tomorrow, in order to enhance security.
The front door will still be used as an exit, reports the Blog of Legal Times. However, this is an “unfortunate” change for the worse that isn’t necessitated by security concerns, says Justice Stephen Breyer in a memorandum in which Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg joins.
“I write in the hope that the public will one day in the future be able to enter the court’s Great Hall after passing under the famous words, ‘Equal Justice Under Law,’ ” Breyer said in the memo.
The historic climb up the 44 marble steps leading to the court’s front door, which will now be circumvented, also represents the “processional progress toward justice re-enacted daily,” he added.
Earlier coverage:
ABAJournal.com: “Planned Side Door to Justice at Nation’s Top Court is ‘Under Review’”
