A divided court

The justices of the US Supreme Court hear cases each spring and render decisions in the early summer. Last term, they decided to uphold Obamacare in one of the highest profile cases in years. This term, there are two key same-sex marriage cases that are capturing national attention.

The US Supreme Court is split, with four liberals, four conservatives and Justice Anthony Kennedy as the swing vote. Mr Kennedy, a Reagan appointee, often votes with the conservative bloc but has an independent streak. Chief Justice John Roberts was the unexpected deciding factor in the upholding of the Obamacare legislation last year

This interactive graphic profiles the nine Supreme Court justices that will decide this term’s cases.