During a speech host­ed by the Southern Center for International Studies in Atlanta, Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor stressed the impor­tance of inter­na­tion­al law for American courts and the need for the United States to cre­ate a more favor­able impres­sion abroad. She cit­ed recent Supreme Court cas­es, includ­ing the Court’s rul­ing to ban the exe­cu­tion of those with men­tal retar­da­tion, that illus­trate the increased will­ing­ness of U.S. courts to take inter­na­tion­al law into account. ​“I sus­pect that over time we will rely increas­ing­ly, or take notice at least increas­ing­ly, on inter­na­tion­al and for­eign courts in exam­in­ing domes­tic issues.” O’Connor not­ed that doing so ​“may not only enrich our own coun­try’s deci­sions, I think it may cre­ate that all impor­tant good impres­sion.” (World Net Daily, October 31, 2003) See International Death Penalty.

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