Article III of the United States Constitution
Article III of the United States Constitution holds that federal judges are part of federal courts referred to as guardians of the Constitution. Through nomination and confirmation by the President and Congress respectively, judges remain on the bench for life. Federal judges follow an eligibility requirement system that checks the past performance of the justices, the status of their US citizenship, and their allegiance to the US (Goodwin 786). This is contrary to the Constitution's requirements, which place no limitations to the service of federal judges.
Experience as a Requirement for Federal Judges
Experience in practicing law to become a federal judge is not a legal requirement. This represents a weakness in the Constitution in its establishment of eligibility requirements for a federal judge. According to Muller, flaws in the judiciary system arise from the politicization of the Supreme Court, leading to mismanagement of judicial membership by officers of the judiciary and even federal judges (559). The eligibility requirements for federal judges also face hindrances from complex appeals, outdated procedures, and old traditions enforced by law schools. These issues reinforce the opinion that judicial system requires reforms.
Improving Eligibility Requirements for Federal Judges
Improving the eligibility requirements for federal judges means constitutional reform, such as the impeachment of federal judges to enforce the law using appropriate procedures, should be an option (Proctor 1149). For instance, in case a federal judge commits a crime, Congress should act fast and accordingly since the Constitution empowers it to reprehend and remove justices convicted of crimes. To refine eligibility requirements for federal judges, the President and Congress should undertake meticulous and painstaking efforts to ensure candidates' conformity to existing requirements prior to their nomination and confirmation. Sensitization and the enforcement of these reforms would mean that gross misconduct by justices, such as in the case of Michael Kavanaugh would be unheard of since only judges with good conduct would fulfill the eligibility criteria.
Works Cited
Goodwin, Alfred T. "A Wake-Up Call for Judges." (2015): 785.
Muller, Derek T. "Scrutinizing Federal Electoral Qualifications." Ind. LJ
90 (2015): 559.
Proctor, R. David. "An Overview of Judicial Independence from Impeachments to Court-Packing." U. Mem. L. Rev. 47 (2016): 1147.
