The rule of four is a US Supreme Court practice that permits four of the nine justices to grant a writ of certiorari. It has the specific purpose to prevent a majority of the Court's members from controlling their docket.

On the face of it, the Supreme Court’s “Rule of Four” is straightforward. Where the justices have discretion as to whether to hear an appeal, at least four of the Court’s members must vote to grant a writ of certiorari, which facilitates a full review on the merits.

Mar 25, 2025 · The meaning of RULE OF FOUR is a rule in the U.S. Supreme Court under which a petition for certiorari will be granted and the case in question reviewed if four of the nine justices so decide.

The Justices use the " Rule of Four ” to decide if they will take the case. If four of the nine Justices feel the case has value, they will issue a writ of certiorari. This is a legal order from the high court for the lower court to send the records of the case to them for review.

The “rule of four” is the Supreme Court’s practice of granting a petition for review only if there are at least four votes to do so. The rule is an unwritten internal one; it is not dictated by any law or the Constitution.

May 17, 2024 · The rule of four is a custom of the United States Supreme Court that dictates that, if four justices decide that a case is worthy of being heard, the Court will agree to hear it.

Definition of "rule of four" A procedural principle used by the U.S. Supreme Court where a case will be reviewed if at least four out of the nine justices agree to do so ; How to use "rule of four" in a sentence. The rule of four was invoked in order to review a contentious lower court decision.

Even before Congress expanded the Supreme Court's discretionary certiorari jurisdiction in 1925, the Court had adopted the practice of granting certiorari whenever four of the nine Justices agreed that a case should be heard. This "rule of four" was first made public in testimony concerning the bill that became the 1925 act.

The "rule of four" is a simple yet important principle used by the U.S. Supreme Court. It states that if at least four out of the nine justices agree to hear a case, then that case will be reviewed by the Court.

Rule of four refers to a convention that for certiorari to be granted by the U.S. Supreme Court, four justices must vote in favor of the grant. The rule ordains that the votes of four Justices are needed to grant certiorari and bring a case before the Court for decision on the merits.