Before the term ends next summer, the justices will have weighed in on three major public policy disputes - guns, religious rights and possibly race, if the court takes up a request to once again review affirmative action in university admissions
Robert BarnesWASHINGTON - The Supreme Court embarks Monday on what could be an extraordinarily controversial term, with its justices on the defensive, its actions and structure under a political microscope and abortion - the most divisive issue of them all - taking center stage.
And a presidential commission on the Supreme Court, taking testimony on the court's power and proposals to add seats to the court, limit justices' lifetime tenure and require more transparency, is due to report to President Joe Biden next month. The push by Senate Republicans to confirm Justice Amy Coney Barrett before the presidential election last fall gave right-leaning justices a 6 to 3 majority, and the ambitious agenda in her first full term on the court sets the stage for remarkable change.There is a danger facing the court as well.
Opponents say it has forced those who want abortions to either continue an unwanted pregnancy or travel to other states to get the procedure, in effect nullifying the guarantee of Roe to choose abortion before the fetus is viable. "The catchy and sinister term 'shadow docket' has been used to portray the court as having been captured by a dangerous cabal that resorts to sneaky and improper methods to get its ways," Alito said in his speech at the University of Notre Dame. "And this portrayal feeds unprecedented efforts to intimidate the court or damage it as an independent institution."
In the Texas case, Justice Elena Kagan practically accused her colleagues of abusing the court's emergency process and became the first justice to use in an opinion the "shadow docket" phrasing Alito found sinister. Lower courts have kept the law from going into effect, saying it clearly violates Supreme Court precedents that say states cannot impose an undue burden on those seeking abortions before fetal viability, generally considered to be around 22 to 24 weeks.
"Roe and Casey are unprincipled decisions that have damaged the democratic process, poisoned our national discourse, plagued the law - and, in doing so, harmed this Court," her brief states. Specifically, it has left in place lower court decisions upholding state and local restrictions on the kinds of weapons permitted and restrictions on who can carry a gun outside the home, including some similar to New York's law.
With all of that, it is unclear whether the court will have the appetite to also take on a challenge to Harvard's admission program.
Norge Siste Nytt, Norge Overskrifter
Similar News:Du kan også lese nyheter som ligner på denne som vi har samlet inn fra andre nyhetskilder.
New York Teachers Petition Supreme Court to Block Covid-19 Vaccine MandateFour New York City teachers have filed a petition asking the U.S. Supreme Court to block the city’s Covid-19 vaccine mandate, which requires school employees to be vaccinated to be able to work on Monday.
Les mer »
Supreme Court justice Sonia Sotomayor axes appeal of NYC school vaccine planSupreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor on Friday denied an emergency appeal from a group of teachers to block New York City's Covid-19 vaccine mandate for public school teachers and other staff from going into effect.
Les mer »
In political crosshairs, U.S. Supreme Court weighs abortion and gunsJust before midnight on Sept. 1, the debate over whether the U.S. Supreme Court's conservative majority will dramatically change life in America took on a new ferocity when the justices let a near-total ban on abortion in Texas take effect.
Les mer »
Supreme Court Justice Sotomayor allows NYC schools' COVID vaccine mandate to stay in placeU.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor on Friday blocked a challenge to New York City's vaccine requirement for public school teachers and employees, allowing the mandate to remain in place.Why it matters: Mayor Bill de Blasio announced in August that all 148,000 staff members of the largest U.S. school district would need to submit proof of at least one dose of a COVID vaccine or risk unpaid leave until September 2022.Stay on top of the latest market trends and economic insights with Axios
Les mer »
Supreme Court justice axes appeal of NYC school vaccine planSupreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor on Friday denied an emergency appeal from a group of teachers to block New York City's COVID-19 vaccine mandate for public school teachers and other staff from going into effect. The teachers had filed for the injunction with Sotomayor on Thursday, in an effort to keep the mandate from going into effect Friday. Under the mandate rules, the roughly 148,000 school employees had until 5 p.m. Friday to get at least their first vaccine shot.
Les mer »
Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh Tests Positive for COVIDSupreme Court justice Brett Kavanaugh tests positive for COVID-19 despite being fully vaccinated since January.
Les mer »