Some of the more conservative justices on the Supreme Court weren’t shy about assessing their neighbors across the street Wednesday during oral arguments in a closely watched Voting Rights Act case.

Justice Antonin Scalia questioned Congress’ motives for renewing a central provision of the statute that was being challenged at the court, suggesting it was enacted because lawmakers feared political blowback for not doing so, not because the majority supported the measure. Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. puzzled over why Congress didn’t at least update the formula used to determine which geographic areas the law covered. Justice Anthony M. Kennedy suggested it was a lack of will.

“Congress just didn’t have the time or energy to do this,” Kennedy said.

Just as members have been increasingly willing to criticize high-court decisions that don’t comport with their own interpretation of the law, the justices have shown in recent high-profile cases a willingness to parry back. The problem for lawmakers is that, at the end of the day, the justices likely have the upper hand.

“The court takes note of Congress and its dysfunction the same way everyone else does,” said Rick Hasen, a law professor at University of California, Irvine.