About our US Supreme Court (SCOTUS) news
Latest news on the US Supreme Court, SCOTUS, covering justices, landmark cases, judicial review, oral arguments and rulings shaping American constitutional law.
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest judicial body in the nation, with nine justices holding the final word on constitutional and federal law disputes. Chief Justice John Roberts leads the bench alongside Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, Amy Coney Barrett and Ketanji Brown Jackson. Justices hold lifetime tenure, a safeguard intended to protect judicial independence from political pressure. Each annual term opens in October and traditionally concludes with its most significant rulings in late June.
Recent terms have reshaped the limits of presidential power. The court ruled that the president can dismiss heads of independent federal agencies without cause, overturning decades of precedent, while separately allowing Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook to remain in post pending litigation. Justices also struck down a tariff programme imposed without congressional authorisation, narrowed Voting Rights Act protections, and upheld a state's right to count mail-in ballots received after election day. Other rulings ended court review of decisions to cancel Temporary Protected Status for several immigrant groups and revived a policy requiring migrants to reach US soil before claiming asylum.
Beyond executive power, justices have issued major rulings on gun rights, product liability and corporate accountability. The court sided with a gun owner challenging a federal ban on firearm possession by drug users, while limiting one of the largest waves of product liability lawsuits against a pesticide manufacturer. A separate case examined whether a major oil company could be held liable in state court for environmental damage, part of a wider trend of climate-related litigation against energy firms working its way through the courts. Each term traditionally closes with its most contentious disputes, recent examples including birthright citizenship, transgender athletes in school sports and campaign finance limits.
The court's rulings reach far beyond Washington, touching family life, elections and civil liberties for millions of Americans. The public can attend oral arguments in person at the neoclassical Supreme Court Building, where traditions include the ceremonial swearing-in of new bar members. Individual justices regularly speak at universities and public events, helping to demystify the judicial process while maintaining the dignity of their office. This openness reflects an institution whose authority depends on public trust as much as legal power, trust that is tested whenever a contentious ruling divides opinion.
The court's growing use of its emergency docket, deciding consequential disputes without full briefing or oral argument, has drawn criticism over transparency and the pace of major rulings. Confirmation hearings, ethics disclosures and the justices' lifetime tenure all fuel recurring debate over the court's legitimacy. Calls for term limits, an expanded bench or stricter ethical codes resurface whenever a ruling proves especially divisive. These tensions reflect a long-running question about how an unelected judiciary should balance precedent against changing societal values.
Established by the Constitution in 1789, the Supreme Court asserted its power of judicial review in Marbury v Madison in 1803, allowing it to strike down laws that conflict with the Constitution. The bench settled at nine justices under the Judiciary Act of 1869, and landmark rulings since then have reshaped American society, from Brown v Board of Education ending school segregation to Miranda v Arizona establishing the rights read to criminal suspects. The court's composition and ideological balance have shifted repeatedly through presidential appointments, most recently cementing a conservative majority that has accelerated change across multiple areas of constitutional law. This long history of contested rulings continues to define how Americans understand the separation of powers.
With major rulings continuing to reshape immigration, elections, executive power and civil rights, staying informed about the Supreme Court has never been more important. Our ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½ feed brings together the latest rulings, oral arguments, confirmation news and analysis from across the political spectrum. Whether you follow the court for its constitutional significance or its impact on everyday life, this feed offers comprehensive, up-to-date coverage of America's highest court.