United States of America - November 2023

Amidst controversy over alleged irregularities in the financial disclosures of some of its members, and after calls from lawmakers and critics, the Supreme Court adopted a code of conduct on 13 November.

According to the Court, this constitutes a codification of rules already in practice that aim to address the “misunderstanding” that the Supreme Court Justices “regard themselves as unrestricted by any ethics rules”. Analysts have welcomed the adoption of this code of conduct, however many expressed concerns for the code’s weak rules regarding the recusal of justices in specific cases, as well as the fact that the code does not foresee an enforcement mechanism.

Sources: Supreme Court of the United States, The New York Times,  Brennan Center

Since the October escalation of violence between Hamas and Israel, a significant increase in reports of hate incidents and hate crimes has been recorded. According to the Anti Defamation League, antisemitic incidents have increased by over 300 per cent. In a two-month period (between 7 October and 7 December), such incidents included 40 acts of physical assault, as well as hundreds of incidents of harassment and vandalism. 

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (Cair) also reported a major increase in Islamophobic incidents. Within the month of 7 October, Cair had received 1,283 reports of incidents and complaints related to free speech, targeting of employment and education; over 15 per cent of those reports related to hate crimes. The shooting of three Palestinian students in November is being investigated as a potential hate crime. 

Antisemitic incidents have also risen on college campuses, leading to tensions and debates on how to balance freedom of speech principles with the protection of ethnic, racial and religious minorities from discrimination.

Sources: The Hill, The Guardian, Public Broadcasting Service