shadow docket

[shad-oh dok-it]

noun

1. a list of the cases resolved by the U.S. Supreme Court by unsigned procedural orders issued without full briefing, oral arguments, or lengthy written opinions.

Word History and Origins

Origin of shadow docket¹

Coined by U.S. legal scholar and University of Chicago law professor William P. Baude (born 1950) in 2015

Example Sentences

Several cases from the court’s emergency docket, or shadow docket, in recent months indicate that other justices share that desire.

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The court's reliance on this shadow docket has been criticised by left-leaning legal scholars and politicians as an improper use of the court's authority.

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Using the so-called “shadow docket,” the justices allowed him to fire someone the law says he should not be allowed to fire.

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When asked to explain the court’s “shadow docket”, she ad-libbed a hypothetical all but identical to Monday’s real decision.

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In another shadow docket ruling that lacks legal precedent, facts or justification, the court dealt an even more serious blow to separation of powers than to public education.

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