The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent session saw significant developments as the court issued rulings on several long-pending cases, effectively resolving the persistent and complex hold known as the “relist logjam.” As reported by SCOTUSblog, the Court granted certiorari to four notable cases, all one-time relists, in its final conference of the October 2025-26 term.
Among these accepted cases, Monsanto Co. v. Durnell is of particular interest, addressing the preemption of tort claims under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act regarding the herbicide Roundup. Also, the court will examine Anderson v. Intel Corporation Investment Policy Committee to clarify what plaintiffs need to establish in claims of ERISA breach-of-fiduciary-duty. Furthermore, the Court intends to delve into matters of induced patent infringement through the lens of Hikma Pharmaceuticals USA Inc. v. Amarin Pharma, Inc.. Another significant inclusion is Chatrie v. United States, where the application of “geofence warrants” is set against Fourth Amendment protections.
The Supreme Court also decided several cases on procedural grounds and denied review on contentious issues, such as challenges related to the Second Amendment prohibitions on felons possessing firearms, in a significant portion of the cases presented. This includes the high-profile denial of review in the case of Agudas Chasidei Chabad of United States v. Russian Federation, which touches upon aspects of the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act.
Additionally, the court issued a procedural decision in Tennessee v. Kennedy, vacating a lower-court ruling against Tennessee after the mootness of a dispute over federal funding cuts, and closing an unusual chapter of relist cases marked by procedural anomalies and meritless filings.
This term’s significant judicial docket continues as the court deliberates on the merits of Salazar v. Paramount Global, a case testing the boundaries of the Video Privacy Protection Act. The resolution of such cases reflects an ongoing effort by the Court to deal with procedural backlog while tackling pivotal legal questions.
The judicial community is closely observing as these important issues are addressed in the upcoming term, with potential implications for case law and statutory interpretation across multiple legal domains.
For detailed information, please visit the original report at SCOTUSblog.