October 3, 2024

ACS Statement on the Start of New SCOTUS Term


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Nancy Rodriguez, media@acslaw.org

Washington, DC – The U.S. Supreme Court’s 2024-25 term starts on October 7. In anticipation of the new term, the American Constitution Society released the following statement:

“Next week, the justices of the U.S. Supreme Court return to the bench for what promises to be another consequential term. The Court’s docket includes a series of high-stakes cases that demand our attention. Among those are a trio of cases that have the potential to deny medically-approved, potentially life-saving health care to transgender youth, infringe on protected speech, and impede gun violence prevention.

Since gaining a supermajority in 2020, this Court’s conservative bloc has frequently ruled with disregard for precedent and judicial restraint, deepening its legitimacy crisis. In decisions like Brnovich, Dobbs, Bruen, and SFFA, the Court has shown that it serves its conservative ideology and benefactors not the majority of Americans. These cases have weakened voter protections, eroded our fundamental freedoms, seized power from elected branches of government, undermined public health and safety, and hampered efforts to advance racial justice. Last term, in a decision devoid of textual, historical, or precedential justification, the Court effectively declared the U.S. President above the law for crimes committed while in office. This term, we again brace for more ideological decisions that undercut our fundamental rights and weaken cherished democratic institutions.

With so much at stake, it is imperative that we remain vigilant during the coming term. We must continue to speak out against this Court’s flawed decisions and press for reforms that will restore the Court’s legitimacy and, by extension, strengthen our democracy. The Court’s decisions will have significant ramifications for the parties involved, but also all Americans. Now more than ever, courts matter.”

To view ACS's 2024 National SCOTUS Preview, featuring legal scholars discussing this term's upcoming cases, click here.

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