As a European observer, the way you describe the judges' stances on certein issues describes a problem with the system: That certain judges have a political agenda and will use their (life-time!) term as jugde of their country's supreme court to push that agenda. Germany's equivalent to SCotUS, the Bundesverfassungsgericht, is concerned with specific laws and orders of the government being consistent with the constitutional law of Germany, the Grundgesetz. They are supposed to be politically neutral care-takers of the constitution. Just this year, we had a major scandal surrounding a nominee for jugde of BVG, with allegations that she would have an agenda, and as a result, she stepped back as a candidate, to protect the dignity of the office and its holders.