Supreme Court ruling: What is affirmative action?

The US Supreme Court has ruled that universities cannot consider race as a factor in admissions, striking down the landmark case Grutter v Bollinger (2003).

This ruling came in response to two cases brought to the high court by students who argued that Harvard and the University of North Carolina had denied their applications due to diversity quotas.

In the majority 6-3 decision, Chief Justice John Roberts wrote that the 14th Amendment applies “without regard to any difference of race, of color, or of nationality” and therefore must apply to every person.“

Here, the Independent looks at how affirmative action was struck down.