Former FL Supreme Court justice speaks out for an independent judiciary

December 15, 2025 | Mitch Perry | News From the States

At a time of attacks on the judicial system, a coalition of former state chief justices around the country has organized to educate the country about the role of the judiciary and the significance of its independence.

The Alliance of Former Chief Justices is a nonpartisan effort by more than 40 former state chief justices, including Barbara Pariente, who served on the Florida Supreme Court from 1997 to 2019 and was chief justice from 2004 to 2006. The group is a creation of Keep Our Republic, a nonpartisan civic education organization founded in 2020 to advocate for the rule of law and protecting democracy.

“There are increasing partisan attacks on judges in both the federal and state courts, not based on anything other than an outright partisan attack,” Pariente told the Phoenix in a phone interview last week. “And I think that it’s important for those of us who have been intricately involved with the judicial system to have our voices heard, because individual judges cannot speak out.” …