US President Joe Biden on Monday proposed far-reaching judicial reforms that would ensure Donald Trump can face trial and end lifetime terms on the Supreme Court.
Mr Biden called for an amendment to the US Constitution that “makes clear no president is above the law”, after judges ruled Mr Trump has partial immunity as a former commander-in-chief.
“If a future president incites a violent mob to storm the Capitol and stop the peaceful transfer of power – like we saw on January 6, 2021 – there may be no legal consequences,” Mr Biden wrote in an opinion piece in The Washington Post.
“And that’s only the beginning.”
A Supreme Court overhaul proposed by Mr Biden would see judges appointed to 18-year terms at regular intervals and given a new code of conduct.
Passing the reforms will be a tall order given the difficulty of amending the constitution, which has not been changed since 1992, and the Republican majority in the House of Representatives.
But the White House said Mr Biden, who is no longer running for a second term, is backing the “bold reforms” to fix a “crisis of confidence in America’s democratic institutions”.
The court reforms would replace the “arbitrary” system in which “any single presidency radically alters the make-up of the court for generations to come”, Mr Biden wrote.
Judges are appointed with lifetime terms, meaning vacancies come up whenever they happen to retire or die in office.
Mr Trump, the Republican nominee for president, was able to fill three vacancies during his 2017 to 2021 term, shifting the court to a conservative majority that has allowed for several major decisions in the past few years.
The repeal of Roe v Wade in 2022 ended the right to abortion.
Other recent decisions have included curtailing the power of federal agencies to interpret laws relevant to them and striking down a ban on bump stocks, which increase the shooting speed of assault rifles.
Facing several criminal trials, Mr Trump scored another Supreme Court win this month when judges ruled former presidents have some immunity.
“Each of us is equal before the law," Mr Biden said on Monday.
"No one is above the law and for all practical purposes, the court's decision almost certainly means that the president can violate their oath, flout our laws and face no consequences.
“A president is no longer constrained by the law, and limits on abuse of power will be self-imposed by the president alone.
"That's a fundamentally flawed view and a fundamentally flawed principle, a dangerous principle.”
Mr Biden is proposing a “No One Is Above The Law” amendment, clarifying that the constitution “does not confer any immunity” on former presidents.
“I share our founders' belief that a president must answer to the law,” he said at the Lyndon B Johnson Presidential Library in Austin, Texas.
“The president is accountable for the exercise of the great power of the presidency.
“We're a nation of laws, not kings and dictators.”
The immunity debate does not cover Mr Trump's conviction in a hush-money scheme in New York, which was a matter of state rather than federal law.
But Mr Biden believes that “the president's power is limited – not absolute – and must ultimately reside with the people”, the White House said.
The White House said “recent ethics scandals”, such as gifts given to Justice Clarence Thomas, have put the “fairness and independence” of the Supreme Court in doubt.
Mr Biden said the court needs a mandatory code of ethics.
“The code of conduct for Supreme Court judges would require them to disclose gifts, refrain from public political activity and recuse themselves from cases in which they or a spouse has an interest.”
The court did not have a formal code of ethics until last year, when the justices adopted one amid criticism over undisclosed trips and gifts from wealthy benefactors to some justices, but it lacks enforcement.
There have only been 27 amendments to the US Constitution in its more than 200-year history, and only one since the civil rights era.
An amendment usually needs a two-thirds majority in Congress, followed by backing from three quarters of the states, either through their legislatures or special conventions.
An alternative method that bypasses Congress has never been used.
Hotel Silence
Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir
Pushkin Press
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
The Book of Collateral Damage
Sinan Antoon
(Yale University Press)
'HIJRAH%3A%20IN%20THE%20FOOTSTEPS%20OF%20THE%20PROPHET'
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A State of Passion
Directors: Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi
Stars: Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah
Rating: 4/5
Why seagrass matters
- Carbon sink: Seagrass sequesters carbon up to 35X faster than tropical rainforests
- Marine nursery: Crucial habitat for juvenile fish, crustations, and invertebrates
- Biodiversity: Support species like sea turtles, dugongs, and seabirds
- Coastal protection: Reduce erosion and improve water quality
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, last 16, first leg
Liverpool v Bayern Munich, midnight (Wednesday), BeIN Sports
The biog
Name: Abeer Al Shahi
Emirate: Sharjah – Khor Fakkan
Education: Master’s degree in special education, preparing for a PhD in philosophy.
Favourite activities: Bungee jumping
Favourite quote: “My people and I will not settle for anything less than first place” – Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid.
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HAJJAN
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Countries recognising Palestine
France, UK, Canada, Australia, Portugal, Belgium, Malta, Luxembourg, San Marino and Andorra
EA Sports FC 25
Developer: EA Vancouver, EA Romania
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4&5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Barcelona v Liverpool, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE).
Second leg
Liverpool v Barcelona, Tuesday, May 7, 11pm
Games on BeIN Sports
Cryopreservation: A timeline
- Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
- Ovarian tissue surgically removed
- Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
- Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
- Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
PREMIER LEAGUE FIXTURES
All kick-off times UAE ( 4 GMT)
Saturday
Liverpool v Manchester United - 3.30pm
Burnley v West Ham United - 6pm
Crystal Palace v Chelsea - 6pm
Manchester City v Stoke City - 6pm
Swansea City v Huddersfield Town - 6pm
Tottenham Hotspur v Bournemouth - 6pm
Watford v Arsenal - 8.30pm
Sunday
Brighton and Hove Albion v Everton - 4.30pm
Southampton v Newcastle United - 7pm
Monday
Leicester City v West Bromwich Albion - 11pm
About Krews
Founder: Ahmed Al Qubaisi
Based: Abu Dhabi
Founded: January 2019
Number of employees: 10
Sector: Technology/Social media
Funding to date: Estimated $300,000 from Hub71 in-kind support
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The Africa Institute 101
Housed on the same site as the original Africa Hall, which first hosted an Arab-African Symposium in 1976, the newly renovated building will be home to a think tank and postgraduate studies hub (it will offer master’s and PhD programmes). The centre will focus on both the historical and contemporary links between Africa and the Gulf, and will serve as a meeting place for conferences, symposia, lectures, film screenings, plays, musical performances and more. In fact, today it is hosting a symposium – 5-plus-1: Rethinking Abstraction that will look at the six decades of Frank Bowling’s career, as well as those of his contemporaries that invested social, cultural and personal meaning into abstraction.
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
AUSTRALIA SQUAD v SOUTH AFRICA
Aaron Finch (capt), Shaun Marsh, Travis Head, Chris Lynn, Glenn Maxwell, D'Arcy Short, Marcus Stoinis, Alex Carey, Ashton Agar, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Adam Zampa
LIKELY TEAMS
South Africa
Faf du Plessis (captain), Dean Elgar, Aiden Markram, Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers, Quinton de Kock (wkt), Vernon Philander, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Morne Morkel, Lungi Ngidi.
India (from)
Virat Kohli (captain), Murali Vijay, Lokesh Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, Hardik Pandya, Dinesh Karthik (wkt), Ravichandran Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ishant Sharma, Mohammad Shami, Jasprit Bumrah.
Financial considerations before buying a property
Buyers should try to pay as much in cash as possible for a property, limiting the mortgage value to as little as they can afford. This means they not only pay less in interest but their monthly costs are also reduced. Ideally, the monthly mortgage payment should not exceed 20 per cent of the purchaser’s total household income, says Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching.
“If it’s a rental property, plan for the property to have periods when it does not have a tenant. Ensure you have enough cash set aside to pay the mortgage and other costs during these periods, ideally at least six months,” she says.
Also, shop around for the best mortgage interest rate. Understand the terms and conditions, especially what happens after any introductory periods, Ms Glynn adds.
Using a good mortgage broker is worth the investment to obtain the best rate available for a buyer’s needs and circumstances. A good mortgage broker will help the buyer understand the terms and conditions of the mortgage and make the purchasing process efficient and easier.
The specS: 2018 Toyota Camry
Price: base / as tested: Dh91,000 / Dh114,000
Engine: 3.5-litre V6
Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 298hp @ 6,600rpm
Torque: 356Nm @ 4,700rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7.0L / 100km
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Emergency phone numbers in the UAE
Estijaba – 8001717 – number to call to request coronavirus testing
Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111
Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre
Emirates airline – 600555555
Etihad Airways – 600555666
Ambulance – 998
Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries
Teaching in coronavirus times
