United States of America - June 2023

The Supreme Court ended its 2022-2023 term by issuing decisions on affirmative action, voting rights, student loans and LGBTQIA+ rights, among others. 

In one of its most controversial rulings, the Court ended affirmative action in school admissions, determining that race could no longer be a factor in these processes. Affirmative action had for long been used as a measure to strengthen diversity and access to higher education, and to counter racial discrimination in access to education. Plaintiffs had argued that Harvard and the University of North Carolina’s race-conscious admissions policy constituted discrimination contrary to the Civil Rights Act of 1964. 

With regard to voting rights, the Court reaffirmed a key Voting Rights Act (VRA) section that prohibits voting practices that are racially discriminatory. It confirmed a district court’s decision that Alabama should redraw its voting map to ensure that the rights of Black voters are not diluted. The Court affirmed that race can be taken into account in a redistricting process to guarantee equal opportunity to minority voters to choose who their preferred candidate is.  

In a win for election protection advocates, the Supreme Court rejected the “independent state legislature theory” that would have given state lawmakers more –and nearly unchecked– authority over election laws and federal elections, without judicial review. 

With a negative impact on LGBTQIA+ rights, it further ruled that a web designer’s refusal to provide services for same-sex weddings was protected by the First Amendment. 

The Court also blocked the student loan forgiveness plan instated by President Biden, after considering that it lacked the authorization of Congress. It is expected the decision will impact millions of Americans.

Sources: National Public Radio, The New York Times (1), The New York Times (2), The Washington Post