Supreme Court Justice John Roberts stood firmly in defense of the high court's legitimacy, opining that disagreeing with particular decisions is not enough to question its judicial role.
It was "gut-wrenching" to have to go to a barricaded Supreme Court building after the court tossed decades of precedent regarding abortion.
"Simply because people disagree with opinions, is not a basis for questioning the legitimacy of the court," he said, arguing that the court is not a political body and cannot be influenced by voter sentiment.
Roberts spoke to judges at the 10th Circuit Bench and Bar Conference in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Roberts said that the security barricades around the court's building had been removed and that members of the public would be able to watch the court's arguments in person.
Associate Justice Neil Gorsuch was in attendance for the speech.
The chief justice said that the past year had been difficult, but that he and his colleagues were aiming to move forward.
He said moving forward from things that were unfortunate was the best way to respond.
The Supreme Court has had Black female judges in its history, but this is the first time it has had a black female judge.
A former judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit was praised by Roberts.
He said that Jackson would be a great justice.
The new Supreme Court term will begin next month, but Americans are still absorbing rulings from the previous session, which saw the court's conservative majority flex its muscles on an array of issues.
The court's decision to strike down the landmark 1973 decision that legalized abortion in the US dominated the session.
According to a recent Wall Street Journal survey, more than half of Americans think abortion should be allowed in most or all cases.
Affirmative action in higher education and voting rights are two of the cases that will be decided in the upcoming session.
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