The seismic effect of the Roe v Wade Supreme Court leak appeared to have tipped the trust in yet another branch of the US government, given the unprecedented nature of the leak and the firestorm it has already prompted.
The Supreme Court building is now surrounded by a massive fence; and the leak has triggered a series of protests, with demonstrators outrageous about the possibility of SCOTUS justices overturning the landmark precedent granting nationwide abortion rights across the United States.
The conservatives have lambasted women protesting such a possibility as "over-educated" and the Biden administration has claimed that it will work to codify Roe v Wade into law. Even though the Supreme Court clarified that the leaked draft did not reflect its final opinion, it is unclear how the leak will tip the SCOTUS scales regarding abortion rights.
The Supreme Court is expected to decide on Roe v Wade in late June or early July, before moving on to cases regarding gun rights, immigration and climate change. Now that anything the judge may draft is under threat of being leaked, those cases’ ruling could also be affected.
Justices are also set to decide whether to strike down a New York gun law restricting one's ability to carry a concealed weapon outside their homes. This decision will mark the Supreme Court's first take on a Second Amendment case in over a decade, with the final opinion almost undoubtedly sparking heated debates between those advocating for gun rights and those calling for enhanced controls.
Additionally, justices are set to make up their minds regarding the exclusion of religious schools from a Maine tuition assistance program that grants parents the right to use vouchers to send kids to public or private schools. Here, the issue is mainly revolving around the conservatives standing up for religious liberties, and liberals calling for separation between the church and the state.
Among other issues to be explored by the Supreme Court is a Republican-led dispute over whether the Environmental Protection Agency has the authority to control energy sector carbon emissions. If the SCOTUS rules in favour of the Republican attorneys, it might have serious implications for the Biden administration's climate agenda.
Last but not least, the justices are expected to debate the controversial Trump-era "Remain in Mexico" policy that requires Mexican refugees to wait in their country for a decision on their immigration status. Biden's White House has sought to end the policy, predictably clashing with the conservatives who criticise him for the on-going border crisis. They argue that ditching the Trump-era policy would only worsen the situation on the southern border.
This and other potential decisions by the Supreme Court are now potentially affected by what Chief Justice John Roberts, who has ordered an investigation into the bombshell leak, described as a "betrayal of confidence.”