最高法院塞缪尔·阿利托法官第一次公开发表对他的批评里程碑式的观点推翻罗伊诉韦德案，利用在意大利的一次演讲，轻描淡写英国的哈里王子和其他外国人物，他们哀叹美国对堕胎。
“真正伤害我的，真正伤害我的，是苏塞克斯公爵在联合国发表讲话时，似乎将这一决定——他的名字可能不会被提及——与俄罗斯对乌克兰的攻击相提并论，”阿利托以讽刺的语气说。这个决定，多布斯诉杰克逊妇女健康案，上个月发布。
哈里王子提到了“美国宪法权利的倒退”以及乌克兰战争作为为什么2022年是“痛苦十年中痛苦的一年”的例子，在7月18日的演讲在纽约。
阿利托还对即将离任的英国首相鲍里斯·约翰逊、法国总统埃马纽埃尔·马克龙和加拿大总理贾斯廷·特鲁多。
“我很荣幸在这个任期内写作，我认为这是该机构历史上唯一一个受到一系列外国领导人痛斥的最高法院裁决，他们对美国法律的评论感到非常满意，”他说。"其中之一是前首相鲍里斯·约翰逊，但他为此付出了代价."
阿利托似乎引用了约翰逊的最近辞职在一系列办公室丑闻之后。
这位大法官是7月21日在罗马的一次演讲中发表上述评论的宗教自由会议由圣母大学法学院主办。法院事先没有宣布出庭;演讲视频周四发布在网上。
“如果人们不认为宗教是值得保护的好东西，就很难让他们相信宗教自由值得捍卫，”阿利托告诉观众。“在美国、欧洲和其他类似的地方，那些想要保护宗教自由的人面临的挑战是让不信教的人相信宗教自由值得特别保护。这并不容易做到。”
最高法院的保守派多数在最近的任期内为宗教自由带来了重大胜利，肯定了公立学校足球教练的权利在50码线的学生中祈祷;允许公民团体在波士顿升起基督教旗帜市政厅旗杆;此外，允许缅因州的家庭利用纳税人资助的学费宗教学校的学分。
这些决定，以及关于枪支权利、气候政策和移民的主要裁决，将大法官推到了一场分裂和高度党派化的公共辩论的中心。
索尼娅·索托马约尔法官，最资深的自由派和第三位女法官，和艾米·科尼·巴雷特法官，最年轻的保守派和第五位女法官，周四晚上举行了一次罕见的公开谈话，似乎至少部分是为了降低辩论的温度。
在这张2021年4月23日的资料照片中，助理大法官艾米·科尼·巴雷特站在华盛顿特区最高法院大法官的合影中
Pool/Getty Images，文件
“我们互相喜欢。巴雷特谈到她与索托马约尔和其他同事的关系时说。“正如人们经常开玩笑说的，这就像一场婚姻。我们有终身任期，我们相处融洽。”
“从根本上说，他们是好人，”索托马约尔这样评价她的同事。
这两个人第一次出现在一起，作为里根研究所的一部分发言教育峰会在耶鲁大学法学教授Akhil Reed Amar主持的会议上。活动的主题是“受过教育的公民”
“在某种程度上，我们可以保持一种基调，”巴雷特说，“我认为这本身就具有公民教育的功能。”
两人都没有提到上一届政府的任何决定，甚至是拐弯抹角地;但他们确实对公众对最高法院的误解和对其成员的妖魔化感到遗憾。
“对我来说，民主意味着一群知情的人，”索托马约尔说，“因为没有知情，你真的无法知道如何塑造，如何与他人相处。”
该活动的组织者说，这段对话是几周前预先录制的，但在周四首次播出。
Justice Alito mocks Prince Harry and other foreign critics of abortion decision
Supreme CourtJustice Samuel Alitofor the first time publicly addressed critics of hislandmark opinionoverturning Roe v. Wade, using a speech in Italy to make light of Britain's Prince Harry and other foreign figures who have lamented the rollback of U.S. protections forabortion.
"What really wounded me, what really wounded me, was when the Duke of Sussex addressed the United Nations and seemed to compare the decision -- whose name may not be spoken -- with the Russian attack on Ukraine," Alito said in a sarcastic tone. The decision,Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health, was released last month.
Prince Harry had referenced "the rolling back of constitutional rights here in the U.S." as well aswar in Ukraineas examples of why 2022 is "a painful year in a painful decade," duringa speech July 18in New York.
Alito also made light of commentary from outgoing British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, French PresidentEmmanuel Macronand Canadian Prime MinisterJustin Trudeau.
"I had the honor this term of writing I think the only Supreme Court decision in the history of that institution that has been lambasted by a whole string of foreign leaders who felt perfectly fine commenting on American law," he said. "One of these was former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, but he paid the price."
Alito appeared to reference Johnson'srecent resignationafter a series of scandals in office.
The justice's comments came during a speech July 21 in Rome at aconference on religious libertyhosted by the University of Notre Dame Law School. The appearance was not previously announced by the Court;video of the speechwas posted online Thursday.
“It is hard to convince people that religious liberty is worth defending if they don’t think that religion is a good thing that deserves protection,” Alito told the audience. “The challenge for those who want to protect religious liberty in the United States, Europe, and other similar places is to convince people who are not religious that religious liberty is worth special protection. That will not be easy to do.”
The Court's conservative majority delivered significant victories for religious liberty in the most recent term, affirming the right of a public school football coach topray among students at the 50-yard line; allow a civic group to raise a Christian flag on BostonCity Hall flag pole;and, permit Maine families to utilize taxpayer-funded tuitioncredits for religious schools.
Those decisions, along with major rulings on gun rights, climate policy and immigration, thrust the justices to the center of a divisive and highly-partisan public debate.
Justice Sonia Sotomayor,the most senior liberal and third woman justice, andJustice Amy Coney Barrett,the most junior conservative and 5th woman justice, held a rare public conversation Thursday night in what appeared to be at least partly a bid toward lowering the temperature of debate.
"We like each other. We really do," Barrett said of her relationship with Sotomayor and her other colleagues. "As is often joked, this is like a marriage. We have life tenure and we get along."
"Fundamentally, they are good people," Sotomayor said of her colleagues.
The pair, appearing together for the first time, spoke as part of the Reagan Institute'sSummit on Educationin a session moderated by Yale Law professor Akhil Reed Amar. The theme of the event was "An Educated Citizenry."
"To the extent we can maintain a tone," Barrett said, "I think that in itself has an educative function on civics."
Neither addressed any of the decisions of the past term, even obliquely; but they did lament public misunderstanding of the court and demonization of its members.
"For me, democracy means an informed group of people," Sotomayor said, "because without being informed, you really can't know how to shape, how to live with others."
Organizers of the event said the conversation was pre-taped several weeks ago but aired Thursday for the first time.
