SCOTUS Delivers Victory for Limited Govt, Religious Liberty Protections

Individuals must “voluntarily and knowingly” consent to suit in their personal capacities.

The Louisiana officials did not do so here, he argued.

The decision draws a clear line against federal overreach.

RLUIPA remains a powerful tool for inmates to secure injunctive relief and hold prison systems accountable in their official capacities.

But personal damages suits risk turning every policy disagreement into a personal jackpot for litigants—a concern conservatives have long raised about expansive interpretations of federal statutes.

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson authored a sharp dissent, joined by Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan.