The top cases to watch at the Supreme Court this year

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Washington Examiner

The Supreme Court returns to session on Oct. 7 with a docket that includes cases on transgender rights, gun control, pornography regulations, and flavored vaping, promising to be yet another blockbuster term.

One of the most significant cases the nine justices will examine is the legality of state bans on medical treatments for transgender children. The high court will also review two cases that could reshape gun regulations, including those related to ghost guns, and redefine corporate responsibility in the tech sector.

Depending on the outcome of the 2024 presidential election between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, the Supreme Court may also be asked to address election-related disputes that test the limits of the Electoral Count Act, which would add to an already dramatic summer of Trump-related rulings from the summer.

 

The term begins amid Democratic-led scrutiny over the high court’s transparency and impartiality. Controversies regarding undisclosed gifts to conservative justices and polarizing rulings have rejuvenated calls by some Democrats to pack the Supreme Court, which is composed of a 6-3 Republican-appointed majority.

According to a July 2024 Pew Research survey, 47% of the nation held a favorable view of the high court after a consequential term, not far from the historic lows recorded just after the 2022 decision overturning Roe v. Wade. The more recent term concluded this summer with decisions on presidential immunity, access to abortion medication, and gun restrictions for people under domestic violence restraining orders.