Andrew Cohen of the Brennan Centre for Justice says: 'We now are geared up to spend 2014 watching the kabuki dance of federal appellate practice unfold over the legality of the NSA's bulk metadata telephony surveillance program.' Two conflicting decisions have been given so far.

Brilliant progress

Looking back at 2013, Mr Cohen says that equality issues dominated the big court decisions. He says  that the gay community had a 'year of brilliant progress', particularly as regards recognising same-sex marriage. However, he adds: 'Riding the "down" escalator were poor citizens, people of color, the elderly, and the ill, who lost precious voting protections in court and in statehouses all over the nation. For them, 2013 was the worst year in at least half a century.' Source: The Atlantic