Lark Role News Today

an idyllic spring morning. no hint of what is to come that night. the nine justices of the supreme court attend a memorial service for one of their own, the late john paul stevens. the end of the courts term is just weeks away. >> a whole host of consequential decisions to come. >> a bitterly divided country awaits a momentous decision. >> is this the end of roe v. wade? >> -- of law and of life. >> reporter: at the service the judges look collegial. they call themselves a happy family...

Is also extraordinarily political. in many european countries there are panels of experts that play a lark role in sending forward nominees or vetting them. the competition of the committees is often designed to be bipartisan and involving legal experts. for example, frances high council of the judiciary is mostly made up of elected judges, with a few appointed by other bodies. britain has a somewhat similar selection process. and its rare to reject the advice of these bodies. some european supr...