I’m deeply honored to begin my five-year term this week as chief justice of the Arizona Supreme Court .
Although I have a strategic agenda chock-full of goals and initiatives for an already excellent judicial branch, I find myself preoccupied with one question:
Do people trust that Arizona judges make decisions based on the rule of law rather than on their own personal preferences or political views?
Alarmingly, people increasingly answer that question, “no.”
Be that as it may, public trust matters. A lot.
Distrust in courts erodes respect for the law
The rule of law — the foundation of our democracy — largely depends on the willingness of people to respect and follow court rulings. If people don’t trust they’re getting a fair shake from the courts, there’s little reason to respect the rule of law.
Because democracy itself is threatened, restoring people’s withering trust in judges is not simply my problem or the judicial branch’s problem; it’s everyone’s problem.
I understand why people question whether judges rule according to the law rather than political or ideological persuasion.