#49 John Roberts Jr

The World's Most Powerful People

#49 John Roberts Jr.

Chief Justice
United States Supreme Court
U.S.
Age: 54

U.S. Supreme Court's 17th chief justice is arguably the world's most powerful judge; at 54, also the court's youngest. Conservative tends to rule in favor of corporate over individual, state over convicted, executive over legislative interests. Fond of judicial restraint, baseball: "Judges are like umpires. Umpires don't make the rules; they apply them. The role of an umpire and a judge is critical. They make sure everybody plays by the rules. But it is a limited role. Nobody ever went to a ballgame to see the umpire."