How important is stare decisis and when should a court depart from it?
Stare decisis is the foundation of our legal system and should be accorded the greatest degree of respect. Openness of the courts: 18. Does the court need to improve efforts to make the courts and what they do more open and accessible to the press and public? Yes. I favor televising Pennsylvania Supreme Court proceedings much as we televise our Superior Court En Banc proceedings on PCN. I believe this is a genuine public service which helps to educate the public and enhance the public image of both lawyers and judges. 19. Do you favor cameras in the courtroom, particularly for oral arguments before the Supreme Court? Yes, if they do not disrupt or diminish the dignity of the proceedings. 20. Once litigants have chosen to enter the arena of the public courts, should confidential settlements be discouraged? Or should they be encouraged as a way for the system to reach swifter resolutions? This is a question that pertains quite specifically to the case at hand, and the answer depends enti
