The US Supreme Court ruled today for the first time that former presidents are immune from investigation, extending delays to the start of the Washington trial of Donald Trump on charges of conspiring to overturn the results of his presidential losses elections in 2020, the Associated Press reported.
Thus, in practice, the possibility of the former head of state being tried before this year's presidential elections on November 5 is eliminated. Trump hailed this Supreme Court ruling as a "big victory".
"This is a great victory for our democracy and for our constitution. I'm proud to be an American," wrote the former president, who is now the Republican Party's candidate for the election, on his social platform "Truth Social".
In a historic six-to-three decision, the Supreme Court justices sent Trump's case back to the first instance, which must determine what special counsel Jack Smith's indictment ultimately contains, AP notes.
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This court opinion in the second major case against Trump this year, along with opposition to a possible ban on him from participating in the election, brings to the fore the direct and most likely awkward role of justice in the election in the fall, according to the Associated Press.< /p>
"Under our constitutional separation of powers structure, the nature of presidential authority entitles a former president to complete immunity from prosecution for actions within his essential constitutional powers," Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in the reason.
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Robbers' opinion is shared by the other five conservative justices. Their liberal colleagues disagreed.
"Today's decision to grant former presidents immunity from criminal liability changes the institution of the presidency. It makes a mockery of the principle foundational to our constitution and system of government - that no one is above the law,” Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote in her sharp dissent, the AP points out.
Sotomayor, who read a summary of her objection aloud in the courtroom, said the protection granted to presidents by the court “is just as bad as it sounds and is baseless”.