Opebo (Associate Justice) Confirmation Hearing

[Јas]

I have a few questions to offer, if I may.

1. Why do you want to be on the Supreme Court?

2. Could you elaborate on your reasoning in finding that a minimum wage law passed by the Senate would be constitutional?

3. Does the President have the constitutional authority to fire the Game Moderator?

4. How strictly should the prohibition on campaigning in the voting booth be enforced?

[Јas]

I thank the nominee for his responses, and hope he will not object to one or two quick follow-ups.

3. Does the President have the constitutional authority to fire the Game Moderator?

I have no problem with current precedent on this issue.

The only precedent on this matter, to my knowledge, was President Ebowed',s recent order firing the previous GM, EarlAW. No action arose from this. Just to clarify, is it your belief that should Earl have taken an action to the Court challenging the President's authority to fire him that you would have upheld the Presidential ruling?

4. How strictly should the prohibition on campaigning in the voting booth be enforced?

It should be enforced, but the details of implementation of any legislated policy are the purveiw of the executive, not the judicial branch.

Granted, but the Court has had to decide in times past on the validity of votes after an executive decision was made regarding campaigning. If I may, could I ask your opinions on the cases of ILP v DoFA and TD v. DoFA.

Thank you.

[Јas]

The only precedent on this matter, to my knowledge, was President Ebowed',s recent order firing the previous GM, EarlAW.

It could be argued that the authority to do this, and hence the now-established precedent, was implied in the ruling Sam Spade vs. Ebowed as it gave the President authority to install a GM despite the lack of a constitutional requirement regarding the GM and how the position is filled.

I would tend to agree (I was not by asking the question the removal of Earl),  but the purpose of the question was, as with certain previous questions I've put to nominees, not so much to find a definitive answer, but to establish that the nominee will provide evidence of detached analysis of the question, i.e. evidence of suitability for the post sought.

[Јas]

I thank the nominee for his repsonses. I have no further questions.

[Јas]

Aye

While I have my concerns, had any other nominee answered my questions in the same manner I would likely have voted to confirm. I hope, should he be confirmed, that he take the role seriously and apply the law in a fair and impartial manner.