139k views
0 votes
Which statement about Supreme Court opinions is most accurate?

a. The responsibility of writing the Supreme Court opinion lies with the chief justice.
b. A dissenting opinion can be important because it means the case cannot be used as a precedent.
c. A Supreme Court justice that agrees with the result reached by the majority of the Court but has different reasoning would issue an amicus curiae brief.
d. A concurring opinion reflects the views of most of the Supreme Court justices.
e. A unanimous opinion requires all Supreme Court justices to agree on an opinion.

1 Answer

5 votes

Final answer:

The most accurate statement about Supreme Court opinions is that a unanimous opinion requires all justices to agree. Majority, concurring, and dissenting opinions each play different roles in Court decisions, and an amicus curiae brief is not an opinion but an informative document submitted by non-parties.

Step-by-step explanation:

Among the statements presented about Supreme Court opinions, option e. 'A unanimous opinion requires all Supreme Court justices to agree on an opinion' is the most accurate. When the Supreme Court reaches a decision and all justices agree, the resulting opinion is called a unanimous opinion. However, this is often not the case, and there can be various opinions issued in any given case.

A majority opinion is the official opinion of the court that reflects the views and reasoning of the majority of justices. A concurring opinion is written by a justice who agrees with the outcome of the case but has different reasons than those expressed in the majority opinion. A dissenting opinion is authored by a justice or justices who do not agree with the majority opinion. It is important to note that dissenting opinions do not prevent a case from being used as precedent; they simply offer an alternative viewpoint.

It is also essential to clarify that an amicus curiae brief is not an opinion but a document submitted by someone who is not a party to the case, offering additional information or arguments for the court to consider. The responsibility for writing the Supreme Court's opinion may lie with the chief justice if they are in the majority, or with the most senior justice in the majority if the chief justice is not part of it.

User Ian Roke
by
8.5k points