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Hershey, Pa. Chief Justice John Roberts said Wednesday that Supreme Court justices are not 'political actors,' insisting unpopular court decisions are based solely on the law rather than on policy. He told listeners that people often assume the justices are making policy choices when they are interpreting legal texts, and he rejected that conception as an inaccurate understanding of the court's role. Roberts said, 'I think, at a very basic level, people think we're making policy decisions, we're saying we think this is how things should be, as opposed to what the law provides,' and added, 'I think they view us as purely political actors, which I don't think is an accurate understanding of what we do.' He framed the court's work as application of law and declined to characterize the judiciary as a political body.

Prepared by Lauren Mitchell and reviewed by editorial team.