How many justices are on the Supreme Court? Who they are and how the bench is at its current size.
The United States Supreme Court is an institution steeped in tradition in a way that sets it apart from the other two branches of the federal government. Sitting atop the judicial branch, the justiceshelp determine the law of the land using many of the same methods their predecessors embraced centuries ago.
Despite the high court's commitment to its traditions, its form is not set in stone. The number of justices sitting at the court's mahogany bench has fluctuated a number of times, largely for political reasons, settling on its current size in 1869.
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Throughout its history, the Supreme Court has issued important determinations affecting the scope of liberties for individual Americans as well as extending or cutting short the reach of the federal government. Here's what you need to know about the court's size, who the current justices are, and where they stand in terms of judicial philosophy.
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How many justices are on the Supreme Court?
There are currently nine justices on the Supreme Court, though that number is not set in the Constitution and has changed throughout history.
There are eight associate justices, and one chief justice. Supreme Court justices are nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate. They serve a life term. They are free to retire and often time their departure is based on which party controls the presidency.
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Who is the chief justice of the United States in 2022?
The chief justice of the United States is currently John G. Roberts, Jr.
The 17th chief justice, Roberts was appointed by President George W. Bush and sworn in on September 29, 2005.
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Who are the 9 justices on the Supreme Court in 2022?
The current Supreme Court is made up of nine justices:
There is currently a conservative majority on the court, with six of the nine justices having been appointed by Republican presidents and three of the nine by Democrats. Supreme Court decisions often do not split on those lines, though it is more common in cases involving political power or thorny culture war issues.
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Are there 9 or 11 Supreme Court justices?
Currently there are nine Supreme Court justices. But that has not always been the case. The current number was settled on in 1869, but prior to that the number of justices authorized by Congress fluctuated on six separate occasions.
The Constitution did not include many specifics for setting up the federal judiciary, leaving its composition to Congress, which established the structure for lower federal courts and the size of the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court originally had six justices.
During the Civil War it rose to ten, then shrunk to seven after the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln, eventually landing on nine based on an 1869 law approved by Congress.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt notably attempted to shepherd through Congress legislation that would have allowed him to appoint a new justice for every member of the court over the age of 70. Roosevelt was unsuccessful and the idea was widely opposed by the American public. Still, the notion of growing the size of the court has gained popularity among liberals who feel many of its conservative outcomes in major cases are out of line with the American mainstream.
Why are there 9 justices on the Supreme Court?
The current number of Supreme Court justices is set by an act of Congress. With the passage of the Judiciary Act of 1869, the size of the Supreme Court was increased to allow for nine sitting justices, one for each circuit court of appeals at the time. The number had previously settled at seven, down three seats from a record-high of ten justices during the Lincoln presidency.
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What is the Supreme Court justices' salary in 2022?
According to the federal court system , the chief justice of the United States makes $286,700 annually, while the associate justices make $274,200.
What are the ages of Supreme Court justices in 2022?
From oldest to youngest, the ages of the current Supreme Court justices are:
Justice Thomas, 74
Justice Alito, 72
Justice Sotomayor, 68
Chief Justice Roberts, 68
Justice Kagan, 62
Justice Kavanaugh, 57
Justice Gorsuch, 55
Justice Jackson, 52
Justice Barrett, 51
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How many justices are on the Supreme Court? List of justices in 2023
