Don’t know 'what the Constitution is': Why Chief Justice Roberts says rule of law is 'endangered'

Speaking at Georgetown Law, Chief Justice John Roberts denounced “ad hominem” criticism of the justices and argued for more civics classes for U.S. students.

Roberts suggested recent verbal attacks on the justices had gone too far, but was careful to provide no specific examples.

“The Court has obviously made mistakes throughout its history, and those should be criticized, so long as it is in terms of the decision, really, and not ad hominem against the justices. I just think that doesn’t do any good,” Roberts said.

Roberts said “the harshest critics are usually colleagues,” but in the past he has warned against the administration of President Donald Trump threatening to “impeach” judges like U.S. District Judge James Boasberg after Boasberg ruled against Trump’s decision to deport of hundreds of men to a notorious prison in El Salvador.

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“Impeachment is not an appropriate response to disagreement concerning a judicial decision,” said Roberts at the time.

Without mentioning Trump directly at Georgetown, Roberts advised U.S. schools to train students to have a better understanding of civics because people have no concept of American law, how it works or what it means to them.

“One area where it’s most endangered is with young people," he said. "They’re focused on high school and 8th grade, and how many people really have no real understanding what the role of courts are what the different branches have to do with one another or a notion of what law is or what the Constitution is."

“That’s really too bad,” the chief justice told graduating Georgetown students. “We’re developing a situation where a whole group of … people is growing up having no real sense about how our system of justice works.”

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