After studies found female Supreme Court justices were interrupted more often than men, the Supreme Court has changed the format of its oral arguments, according to Justice Sonia Sotomayor.
"Most of the time women say things and they are not heard in the same way as men who might say the identical thing," she told New York University School of Law at a conference on diversity and inclusion Wednesday, noting that applied to the court and society, CNN reported.
Sotomayor hailed the studies' findings as having an "enormous impact" for women on the nine-member court, adding Chief Justice John Roberts has been "much more sensitive" to making sure all voices are heard equally.
Sotomayor noticed the inequality "without question" before the findings and the change, she added, saying she sometimes would object to being interrupted by saying "I interrupt back."
The new format for oral arguments is on display as the Supreme Court is back in person after being remote during the COVID-19 pandemic. The change includes the silencing of others as a justice is speaking in the time allotted and allowing follow-up questions in the order of seniority, according to the report.
The Supreme Court has become a hot-button constitutional issue after former President Donald Trump's three justice confirmations changed the ideological balance of the court. Democrats have talked about retaliating by expanding the court, which has received lukewarm support at best.
Also, weighty issues on abortion, Roe v. Wade, the Second Amendment, and states authority over elections have been raised in the past year.
Sotomayor noted there is "going to be an awful lot of dialogue by the greater society about the role of the courts in our society," adding a call for diversity in the next justice appointees to come.
"I do worry that the authorities who are selecting judges are not paying enough attention to that kind of diversity as well," Sotomayor added, CNN reported.
Eric Mack ✉
Eric Mack has been a writer and editor at Newsmax since 2016. He is a 1998 Syracuse University journalism graduate and a New York Press Association award-winning writer.
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