The U.S. Supreme Court has introduced new software designed to help identify potential conflicts of interest involving its justices.
The system will compare case-related information — including lawyers and involved parties — with data provided by each justice’s office. The goal is to support what the court described as “automated recusal checks,” helping determine when a justice should step aside from a case.
These checks will complement existing procedures, as justices currently decide for themselves whether to recuse from a matter.
The move builds on the court’s first formal ethics code adopted in 2023. Critics had pointed out that the code lacked an enforcement mechanism and still allowed individual justices to make their own decisions on conflicts.
To strengthen the new system, the court will also require more detailed disclosures in case filings, including full party lists and relevant stock ticker symbols. These updated requirements will take effect on March 16.
Advocacy groups welcomed the change as a step toward greater transparency, noting that similar software has long been used in lower courts.
