US Supreme Court rules universities cannot consider race in admissions, ending affirmative action

The United States Supreme Court has ruled that universities must stop considering race in the admissions process.

A conservative majority of judges decided that Harvard University and the University of Carolina could not consider race in their admissions programme.

They decided in favour of the group Students for Fair Admissions, founded by the anti-affirmative action activist Edward Blum.

Chief Justice John Roberts, writing for the majority said: “Harvard and UNC admissions programs cannot be reconciled with the guarantees of the Equal Protection Clause,” referring to the US Constitution’s promise of equal protection under the law.

“At the same time,” Mr Roberts said, “as all parties agree, nothing in this opinion should be construed as prohibiting universities from considering an applicant’s discussion of how race affected his or her life, be it through discrimination, inspiration, or otherwise.”

This story is being updated.