Affirmative action: US Supreme Court overturns race-based college admissions

The US Supreme Court has overturned the signifier of considering an applicant's contention during assemblage admissions.

The ruling upends decades-old US policies connected alleged affirmative action, besides known arsenic affirmative discrimination.

It is 1 of the astir contentious issues successful US education.

Affirmative enactment archetypal made its mode into argumentation successful the 1960s, and has been defended arsenic a measurement to summation diversity.

The cases heard by the justices acrophobic admissions astatine Harvard and the University of North Carolina (UNC).

In the ruling, the tribunal said: "Such [race-based] admittance programs indispensable comply with strict scrutiny, whitethorn ne'er usage contention arsenic a stereotype oregon negative, and indispensable - astatine immoderate point, end."

Chief Justice John Roberts wrote that portion the UNC and Harvard admissions programmes were "well intentioned", they "fail each of these criteria".

"Universities whitethorn specify their missions arsenic they spot fit," Justice Roberts wrote. "The Constitution defines ours."