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Stewarded by some of the most conservative justices in its history, and making a mockery of accusations that it contains a liberal, activist agenda, the good ship “Supreme Court” continued its relentless rightward tack this past term. It entrenched Rehnquist-era notions of limited rights and remedies; set the stage for the further obliteration of Warren-era doctrines and practices; and reminded politicians of all stripes that it alone among the current branches of government hews Republican rather than Democrat.

With only a few exceptions, the Court ruled against employees to the benefit of employers, against environmentalists to the gain of polluters, and against suspects in favor of law enforcement officials. The self-proclaimed “umpire” on the Court, Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr., continued his unseemly pattern – first identified by writer Jeffrey Toobin – of calling only balls for one team and only strikes for another. Justice Clarence Thomas shed any pretense of moderation and Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, the Court’s swing vote, demonstrated over and over again that he’s a centrist only in relation to his conservative colleagues.

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