Justice Barrett says she welcomes Supreme Court scrutiny

Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett said Monday that she welcomes public scrutiny of the court.

“Public scrutiny is welcome,” Barrett said during a judicial conference Monday in Wisconsin, according to The Associated Press. “Increasing and enhancing civics education is welcome.”

The conference was attended by judges, attorneys and court personnel. Questions were moderated by Diane Sykes, chief judge of the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, and come at a time when trust in the high court is low following the overturn of Roe v. Wade last summer.

The Supreme Court has been under intense scrutiny after a series of ProPublica reports accused conservative Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito of accepting tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of gifts and perks from wealthy Republican donors. Justice Sonia Sotomayor was also accused of using her influence to pressure libraries and colleges into purchasing her books.

Barrett did not mention the specific issues faced by her fellow justices, but she did say the immediacy and quantity of information available has affected people’s perception of the court. 

“You’re not waiting once a day to read your print newspaper,” she said, the AP reported. “You’re seeing things come across your phone all the time, and you’re seeing pictures of people.”

The Associated Press contributed.