United States Supreme Court

United States Supreme Court

The Supreme Court, or High Court, is the highest court in the judicial system. It hears appeals from lower courts as well as cases of great national importance. It also ensures that the decisions of all the courts are consistent.

5 Recent US Supreme Court Decisions That Can Deeply Affect American Lives

The last few weeks have been marked by controversial decisions like a few in the history of the United States Supreme Court.

Like every sixth month of the year, before its summer recess, the highest constitutional court in the country announces the opinions of the most important cases that it analyzed throughout the year: rulings with broad political, social, and economic implications that can impact the lives of millions of people.

This month has not been the exception and in recent days the Supreme Court gave its verdict on five of the cases that generated the greatest expectations, tensions, and debates.

Last week the Court decided to stop recognizing abortion as a constitutional right, limited state restrictions on carrying firearms on the street, and shortened the separation between Church and State by allowing the use of public funds to maintain religious schools.

And this week he limited the power of President Joe Biden to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and endorsed a high school football coach who prayed on the field after games.

Why does the United States Supreme Court have so much power?

 With recent decisions on abortion , gun control , religious freedom and the environment, the United States Supreme Court once again reaffirmed its central role in the country.

The nine justices are unelected, serve for life, and until recently were all white males . But his actions have helped define the American way of life for more than two centuries.

• How the United States Supreme Court is dismantling the separation of church and state

Here are several common questions about the court, its composition, and its power:

What does the Supreme Court do?

In essence, the court decides whether laws and government actions are constitutional and describes the breadth and limits of government.

When a case reaches the Supreme Court, usually through a multi-year process, it is important because the precedent that the majority opinion establishes is the standard by which future laws are measured. That’s because of the principle of ” stare decisis ,” Latin for “support a decision,” where a current court must be bound by previous rulings.

Are Supreme Court decisions final?

Yes, in the sense that they cannot be revoked by another body.

But no, in the sense that the court can overturn or change its own precedent over time, as it did with decisions allowing racial segregation or with last month’s reversal of the 1973 decision in Roe v. Wade, which guaranteed the constitutional right to have an abortion.

Can Congress override decisions?

Not directly, but Congress can pass laws that respond to rulings.

For example, the court ruled in 2007 that Lilly Ledbetter had not filed an equal pay discrimination complaint within the allowed time period (because she did not discover the discrepancy until years later). President Barack Obama signed a law in 2009 that removed those previous restrictions.

What about amending the Constitution?

The Supreme Court interprets the Constitution, so amending the document changes how the court can rule. But amending the Constitution is a Herculean political task that requires, in theory, massive public support, which does not exist for either party at the moment.

Are the judges of the Supreme Court elected?

No. They are appointed by the president and then sent to the Senate for confirmation.

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