What is a per curiam opinion?

• A. Written by a single justice
• B. An unsigned Court decision
• C. An opinion of the Court with the Chief Justice authoring it
• D. A majority opinion with formal dissents

Answer: (B)

A per curiam opinion is a ruling issued by the Court as a whole, published without a named author. The Latin phrase means “by the court,” signaling that no single justice is credited with writing the opinion. This designation is used when the Court wants to present a decision as the collective judgment of the entire Court, often for straightforward or unanimously reached cases. It can include a brief, unsigned explanation, but the key point is that the opinion is not attributed to an individual justice. This differs from opinions written and signed by a specific justice, including those by the Chief Justice, and from a majority opinion that includes formal, signed dissents.