Judiciary Reorganization Bill of 1937

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The Judiciary Reorganization Bill of 1937 was President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s controversial “court-packing” proposal to expand the U.S. Supreme Court and secure favorable rulings for New Deal legislation.

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Statements (51)

Predicate Object
instanceOf United States federal bill
proposed legislation
actualPurposeAsPerCritics change ideological balance of Supreme Court
aimedAtInstitution Supreme Court of the United States
lower federal courts
alsoKnownAs Court-Packing Plan
Roosevelt court-packing plan
committeeAction referred to Senate Judiciary Committee
committeeCharacterization "needless, futile and utterly dangerous abandonment of constitutional principle"
committeeReport Senate Judiciary Committee issued unfavorable report
consequence damage to Roosevelt’s relations with Congress
political defeat for Franklin D. Roosevelt
strengthening of norm against court-packing
constitutionalIssue judicial independence
separation of powers
country United States
dateIntroduced February 5, 1937
field United States political history
constitutional law
historicalPeriod New Deal era
linked to: New Deal
intendedEffect expand United States Supreme Court
increase number of federal judges
reorganize federal judiciary
secure favorable rulings for New Deal legislation
introducedBy Franklin D. Roosevelt
introducedInChamber United States Senate
introducedInLegislature United States Congress
justificationGiven reduce backlog and improve efficiency of federal courts
legislativeOutcome failed to pass
not enacted into law
longTermEffect Supreme Court became more favorable to New Deal due to later appointments
maximumAdditionalJustices 6
mechanism add one new justice for each sitting justice over age 70½ up to six
motivation hostile Supreme Court rulings against New Deal laws
opposedBy American Bar Association
Chief Justice Charles Evans Hughes
Republican Party leaders
many conservative Democrats
much of the press
public opinion majority
politicalContext Second New Deal
linked to: New Deal
presidentialAdministration Franklin D. Roosevelt administration
proposedBy Franklin D. Roosevelt
proposedSupremeCourtSizeLimit 15 justices
relatedTo New Deal
Supreme Court and New Deal conflict
switch in time that saved nine
supportedBy Franklin D. Roosevelt
many New Deal Democrats
triggerCondition justice over age 70½ not retiring
yearProposed 1937

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New Deal constitutional crisis hasPart Judiciary Reorganization Bill of 1937
Judiciary Reorganization Bill of 1937 alsoKnownAs Court-Packing Plan
linked to: Judiciary Reorganization Bill of 1937