Proposal Calls for Stripping Supreme Court Justices of Celebrity Perks

In a recent Civitas article, the writer proposes that Congress make the Supreme Court less glamorous by imposing the same routine duties and living standards as lower-court judges. The suggestion includes banning special perks, prohibiting personal profit from the position, and requiring any royalties from books to be donated to the Holmes Devise. While salaries could be increased, the cost of living would align with other Washington judges who enjoy fewer benefits.

The author stresses that these measures would not affect the Court’s case load, rulings, or internal deliberations, but would aim to curb the “cult of judicial celebrity.” The piece argues that such reforms would reshape both judicial self-perception and public attitudes toward the Court’s stature.