On the verge of a new term in which the Supreme Court will wade back into the culture wars, Justice Clarence Thomas reflected Thursday on the role of the judiciary and warned against judges weighing in on controversial issues that he said are better left to other areas of government.
“When we begin to venture into the legislative or executive branch lanes, those of us, particularly in the federal judiciary with lifetime appointments, are asking for trouble,” he said during a sweeping lecture at the University of Notre Dame that also touched on themes of equality, race and the state of the country.
The problem, the justice said, has bled into the nomination and confirmation process.
