What is Majority opinion?
{{Judicial opinions}} In [[law]], a '''majority opinion''' is a [[judicial opinion]] agreed to by more than half of the members of a [[court]].<ref name=readSCOTUS>{{cite web |url=http://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/images/public_education/Reading-SCOTUS-Opinion.pdf |title=How to Read a U.S. Supreme Court Opinion |publisher=American Bar Association |access-date=2 March 2016 |archive-date=27 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160327130308/http://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/images/public_education/Reading-SCOTUS-Opinion.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> A majority opinion becomes the [[Case law|decision]] of the court in a matter. It also gives an [[explanation]] of the reasons for the court's decision.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://americanhistory.about.com/od/judicialbranch/g/majority_opinion.htm |title=Majority Opinion |author=Martin Kelly |publisher=About Education |access-date=2 March 2016 |archive-date=27 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170227202708/http://americanhistory.about.com/od/judicialbranch/g/majority_opinion.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> == Decisions == A [[dissenting opinion]] is an opinion written by one or more judges expressing disagreement with the majority opinion of the court. Very similar to a majority opinion is a [[plurality opinion]].<ref name=SpriggsGLJ>James F. Spriggs II; David R. Stras, 'Explaining Plurality Decisions', ''The Georgetown Law Journal'', Vol. 99:515 (2011), p. 515</ref> In this instance, a majority of Justices agree on the result of a case, but do not all agree on the reasons for the result.<ref name=SpriggsGLJ/> In the [[United States Supreme Court]], a majority of the Justices have to agree with all of the contents of the Court's opinion before it can be published.<ref name=USCourts>{{cite web |url=http://www.uscourts.gov/about-federal-courts/educational-resources/about-educational-outreach/activity-resources/supreme-1 |title=Supreme Court Procedures |publisher=United States Courts |access-date=2 March 2016}}</r