Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas expressed his desire to reevaluate legal precedents, saying they are not absolute truths but rather a product of human interpretation. He made these comments during a public appearance at Catholic University’s Columbus School of Law in Washington, D.C.
Thomas stated that the Supreme Court should be more critical when considering settled cases, and some may have been based on “something somebody dreamt up” without thorough scrutiny. He compared this to being passengers on a train, unsure who is driving it or where it’s headed.
Thomas has long advocated for revisiting significant landmark opinions, including those involving abortion rights and same-sex marriage. His comments come ahead of the high court’s new term, which includes challenges to several major decisions, such as limiting a president’s power over independent agencies and using race in redistricting.
In his views, precedent should be respectful of the country’s laws and traditions, not just blindly followed. Thomas emphasized that he does not consider any decided case to be absolute truth, and the court should engage its critical thinking abilities when evaluating precedents.
Source: https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/justice-clarence-thomas-legal-precedents-gospel/story?id=125967044