Supreme Court Definition and Legal Meaning

On this page, you'll find the legal definition and meaning of Supreme Court, written in plain English, along with examples of how it is used.

What is Supreme Court?

(n) Supreme court is the highest court of the land where such name is used to represent the court which has the ultimate power to determine the issues related to constitutional subjects, intra state disputes, cases in which federal or central government is a party etc are decided. Supreme court judges are appointed by the head of the state

History and Meaning of Supreme Court

The Supreme Court is the highest judicial body in the United States of America. It was established in 1789 under Article III of the US Constitution. The court was created to be the final arbiter of constitutional issues and to safeguard individual liberties and rights. The court consists of nine justices, their chief justice, and eight associate justices. The chief justice is the head of the court and is responsible for supervising lower courts.

Examples of Supreme Court

  1. In 1954, the Supreme Court declared segregation in public schools unconstitutional in Brown v. Board of Education.

  2. In 1973, the Supreme Court legalized abortion nationwide in Roe v. Wade.

  3. In 2015, the Supreme Court ruled that same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marry in Obergefell v. Hodges.

  4. In 2000, the Supreme Court ruled in Bush v. Gore, effectively deciding the outcome of the US presidential election.

Legal Terms Similar to Supreme Court

  1. Appellate Court - A court that hears appeals from lower courts and reviews legal decisions made by lower courts.

  2. District Court - A trial court that has jurisdiction to hear civil and criminal cases within a specific geographic area.

  3. Circuit Court - A court that has jurisdiction over a designated geographic area, typically including multiple states.