Two bipartisan bills promoting court transparency, supported by Fix the Court, have advanced out of the Senate Judiciary Committee. The Cameras in the Courtroom Act would require the Supreme Court justices to livestream their oral arguments and opinion announcements. The Sunshine the Courtroom Act would give district and appeals court judges authority to decide whether they want to permit video coverage in their courthouses.
Fix the Court’s Gabe Roth praised the bills, stating that it’s time for the judiciary to trust its judges to make decisions on broadcast access. He believes that allowing video access to the Supreme Court and lower courts would be a model for how government officials can disagree without being confrontational.
Unlike Congress, where politicians often ham it up for cameras, judges in federal court don’t need to curry favor with the public. The bills’ language requires live video coverage of oral arguments, which is not available currently, and opinion announcements, for which audio is available but only after months. Roth notes that allowing video access would be a positive change, especially since other countries and states have already implemented similar measures.
The Judicial Conference opposed the bill, claiming it would result in significant costs to implement the proposed changes. However, Fix the Court disputes this claim, suggesting that installing cameras in courthouses is not expensive and can be managed with simple regulations and guidelines. The bills’ passage marks a long-overdue effort to increase transparency and trust in the judiciary.
These bills have been introduced in over a dozen Congresses over the past two decades and are awaiting Senate consideration for the first time. Fix the Court hopes that this bill will finally bring about meaningful change, honoring Senator Durbin’s legacy as a champion of court transparency.
Source: https://fixthecourt.com/2026/06/fix-the-court-backed-cameras-bills-pass-senate-judiciary