The US Supreme Court has made two key decisions on legal cases that will have big implications for the US.
Firstly, it has struck down Section 4 of the 1965 Voting Rights Act as unconstitutional on the grounds that the criteria used for deciding which voting rules need federal clearance is out-of-date. A legally correct decision, but the state of US politics at the moment means it will be a while before new criteria can be made law - and discriminatory legislation could still be put into place.
In better news, the Defense of Marriage Act, that barred same-sex couples from getting federal benefits, has been struck down - the Obama administration wasn't defending it either. Now it is a case of ensuring that people can marry freely across the Union.
Firstly, it has struck down Section 4 of the 1965 Voting Rights Act as unconstitutional on the grounds that the criteria used for deciding which voting rules need federal clearance is out-of-date. A legally correct decision, but the state of US politics at the moment means it will be a while before new criteria can be made law - and discriminatory legislation could still be put into place.
In better news, the Defense of Marriage Act, that barred same-sex couples from getting federal benefits, has been struck down - the Obama administration wasn't defending it either. Now it is a case of ensuring that people can marry freely across the Union.
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