Judges and lawyers from across the United States recently convened virtually for a forum entitled “Global Threats to the Justice System: A Warning to America.” This event, organized by the initiative Speak Up for Justice, comes amidst growing concerns regarding judicial independence exacerbated by politically motivated threats and attacks on the judiciary. Since the beginning of Donald Trump’s second term as U.S. President in 2025, there has been a notable rise in threats against judges, including bomb threats and swatting incidents. As of June, over 408 threats have been recorded against 297 judges this year alone.
The event featured prominent figures from the legal field sharing their experiences and concerns regarding the deterioration of judicial independence globally. Justice Anthony Kennedy echoed earlier warnings about the crucial need for civil discourse, while former Venezuelan Judge Eleazar Saldivia highlighted the perils of a judiciary compromised through political control, drawing parallels to the erosion of judicial independence post-1999 in Venezuela. Similarly, Polish Judge Dorota Zabłudowska reported systemic attacks on the judiciary in Poland under the ruling Law and Justice Party, illustrating how judicial safeguards have been dismantled since 2015.
In the U.S., legal professional Karen C. Burgess drew attention to historical and contemporary instances of governments undermining the legal profession as a precursor to decreasing judicial autonomy. She cited methods such as targeting law firms under Trump’s administration as demonstrated by WSJ reports, to influence legal processes.
Judge Esther Salas, who delivered a poignant closing, warned about threats to judicial independence, drawing from personal tragedy when her son was killed in 2020 by a dissident lawyer. This personal loss has driven her advocacy for legislative measures such as the Daniel Anderl Judicial Security and Privacy Act, aimed at safeguarding judges.
This forum underscored a key message: the centrality of judicial independence to democracy, reinforced as a critical bulwark against political overreach and social discord. More details on the event can be found in the JURIST’s detailed account of the forum.