(CNN) Chief Justice John Roberts steered clear of controversy on Monday in a year-end report that praised the work of judges in general but avoided any direct criticism of President Donald Trump, who has launched several attacks on the judiciary.

As chief justice, Roberts presides over the Judicial Conference, a body that formulates judicial policies. In that role, Roberts issues a report at the end of each year to update the country on the state of the judiciary; the chief justice alone chooses the topic of the annual report.

In Monday's effort, Roberts praised the work of judges but sought to keep the court as far as possible from the political rancor currently consuming the other branches of government.

Roberts refrained in the report from referring to Trump's past controversial statements about the judiciary and avoided any mention of Justice Brett Kavanaugh's controversial confirmation hearings.

Last month, Trump railed against the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals after a district court blocked the Trump administration from barring migrants who cross into the US illegally from seeking asylum. The President criticized the presiding judge of having improper political motivations and referred to him as an "Obama judge."

Read More