On December 31, 2024, Chief Justice Roberts issued his annual year-end written report. The New Year’s Eve report is an annual tradition, beginning with Chief Justice Warren Burger in 1970, giving the chief justice an opportunity to discuss a topic of his choosing.

This year, with the Court under significant scrutiny by lawmakers and court watchers on various subjects, the Chief chose to focus on threats to the judiciary. While explaining that public engagement with the judiciary, even criticism, can foster a better-informed citizenry and strengthen democracy, the Chief expressed concern over four areas of “illegitimate activity” that threaten judicial independence: (1) violence, (2) intimidation, (3) disinformation, and (4) threats to defy lawfully issued judgments. The report highlighted the alarming rise in threats and physical attacks on federal judicial officers, as well as recent incidents where public officials and misinformation endangered the legitimacy of judicial rulings. Overall, he urged respect for the judiciary and cautioned that attacks on its integrity serve to undermine the Republic itself.

The report included its usual appendix of the federal judiciary’s workload. Notably, the number of opinions issued by the Court this past term remained low, even with a small increase in the number of cases filed. The most significant change was the increase in cases filed in the Court’s “paid” docket (compared to in forma pauperis “unpaid” cases), which climbed up 10 percent to 1,376 filings in the last Term.

For more information, please contact Chantel Febus, James Azadian, or Christopher Sakauye.