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Wednesday, 13 December, 2000, 12:18 GMT
Analysis: What the ruling means
![]() The world waits for the court ruling
By Jonathan Marcus and Paul Reynolds
The US Supreme Court effectively dealt the fatal blow to Democrat presidential candidate Al Gore. The ruling reversed the decision of the Florida Supreme Court which allowed hand recounts.
By a narrower majority of five to four the court found there was no constitutionally acceptable procedure by which a new recount could take place before the deadline for selection of presidential electors. The court was worried about possible unequal treatment resulting from differing standards used in the recounts.
A dissenting justice remarked that the winner of the election might never be known - but the loser was the nation's confidence in a judge as an impartial guardian of the law. Judging the judiciary There has been a great deal of misunderstanding about the legal process that has effectively delivered the White House to George Bush - as much in the United States as abroad. For example, the fact that Al Gore received a majority of the popular vote is a factor that has little relevance in a system based on separate state elections that contribute to an electoral college.
The deep divisions on the Supreme Court - the judgement was delivered by a five-to-four majority - don't help to legitimise its decision. The country seemed to be hoping for a judgement of Solomon and they appear to have got something less.
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![]() ![]() What the Supreme Court said (PDF file)
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