![]() ![]() Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson (Joe Biden, 2022). Justice Neil Gorsuch (Donald Trump, 2017). Justice Sonia Sotomayor (Barack Obama, 2009). How many justices are there and who appointed them?Ĭhief Justice John Roberts (George W. ![]() They’re appointed by the president, and then sent to the Senate to be confirmed. But amending the Constitution is a herculean political task requiring, in theory, mass public support, which doesn’t exist for either party at the moment. The Supreme Court interprets the Constitution, so amending the document changes how the court is able to rule. President Barack Obama signed a law in 2009 that eliminated those previous restrictions. Not directly, but Congress can pass laws that respond to rulings.įor instance, the court ruled in 2007 that Lilly Ledbetter had not filed an equal pay discrimination complaint within the allowed time period (because she had not discovered the discrepancy until years later). Wade, which had guarantee the constitutional right to obtain an abortion. Yes, in the sense that they can’t be overturned by another body.īut no, in the sense that the court can overturn or change its own precedent over time, as it did with odious decisions allowing racial segregation or with last month’s reversal of the 1973 decision in Roe v. That’s due to the principle of “stare decisis,” Latin for “to stand by a decision,” where a current court should be bound by previous rulings. When a case reaches the Supreme Court, typically through a process of several years, it’s important because the precedent the majority opinion sets is then the standard by which future laws are measured. In essence, the court decides if laws and government actions are constitutional and outlines the breadth and limits of government. Here are several common questions about the court, its makeup and its power: ![]() But their actions have helped define the American way of life for more than two centuries. The nine justices are unelected, serve for life and until recently were all White men. With recent decisions on abortion, gun control, religious freedom and the environment, the US Supreme Court once again reasserted its central role in America. ![]()
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