Roberts Says He Seeks High Court Consensus

Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. said Sunday that he was seeking greater consensus on the Supreme Court, arguing that closer agreement among justices was likely if hot-button issues were decided on the “narrowest possible grounds.”

In a 15-minute address to Georgetown University law graduates, the 51-year-old chief justice -- the youngest in 200 years -- sketched a vision for leading a court bitterly divided on issues such as abortion, the death penalty and gay rights.

He said the nation would benefit if justices could avoid making 5-4 decisions that had sweeping impact, noting that many of the court’s most controversial decisions -- including presidential wartime powers and political boundaries in Texas -- would be decided in the final six weeks of the current term.

“Division should not be artificially suppressed, but the rule of law benefits from a broader agreement,” Roberts said. “The broader the agreement among the justices, the more likely it is a decision on the narrowest possible grounds.”

His comments come as the court is under attack by members of Congress who say the justices have overreached on decisions that struck down the death penalty for juveniles and allowed cities to seize people’s homes for private economic development.

In recent speeches, Justices Ruth Bader Ginsberg and Antonin Scalia have pushed back, suggesting that Congress should mind its own business.

Roberts lightheartedly made reference to the heightened scrutiny of the high court. Much of it came after President Bush nominated the Harvard Law graduate to be chief justice last summer and selected conservative Samuel A. Alito Jr. to succeed moderate Sandra Day O’Connor.

“Look at the graduates around you. Twenty some years from now, these are the people the press is going to track down to find something embarrassing about you,” he said with a smile, as the crowd roared in response.

“Today is the day to decide among yourselves, what happens at Georgetown stays at Georgetown.”