As the nation’s highest court, the Supreme Court has always been looked upon as the ultimate arbiter of justice. Yet, recent events have led to a critical question echoing from ancient Rome: “Who will guard the guardians?”

Experts, including Doron Kalir, a legal ethics expert and professor at Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, have pondered this question in light of recent ethical concerns surrounding Supreme Court justices. A series of questionable financial transactions and relationships have been revealed involving justices such as Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch, and the wife of Chief Justice John Roberts. The controversy raises concerns about the effectiveness of the court’s self-policing capabilities.

Ethics enforcement should ideally be a nonpartisan issue that serves the court’s best interests, according to Steve Vladeck, a professor at the University of Texas School of Law. He emphasizes the importance of ethics rules and financial disclosure requirements for maintaining transparency and mitigating undue influence.

However, Vladeck points out that the real problem lies in the lack of an effective enforcement mechanism. While a legal mechanism for recusals binds the Supreme Court and lower federal courts, the parties arguing before the Supreme Court cannot challenge justices for not recusing themselves, unlike in lower courts. Moreover, the Supreme Court is the only court not bound by a specific code of ethics, creating a unique conundrum.

Though Chief Justice Roberts stated in a 2011 report that he did not believe the Constitution granted Congress the power to impose a code of conduct on the Supreme Court, Kalir argues that the justices should at least attempt to comply with the existing Code of Conduct for Federal Judges.

The current political landscape and the nature of partisanship in Congress make it unlikely that any new enforcement mechanisms will be implemented soon. Nonetheless, the ethical issues facing the Supreme Court have sparked a debate on the importance of enforcing rules and maintaining transparency.

As entrepreneurs and investors, the values of integrity and transparency should always be at the forefront of decision-making. The ongoing discussion surrounding the Supreme Court’s ethics enforcement highlights the importance of strong enforcement mechanisms and self-governance in every sector.