Which type of opinion is written when a justice agrees with the outcome but for reasons different from the majority?

Which type of opinion is written when a justice agrees with the outcome but for reasons different from the majority?

• A. Dissenting opinion
• B. Concurring opinion
• C. Opinion of the Court
• D. Per curiam opinion

Answer: (B)

A concurring opinion is written when a justice agrees with the Court’s outcome but wants to express a different legal reasoning or to add extra points not covered by the majority. It lets the justice support the same result while highlighting alternative grounds, which can influence future cases or interpretations. This is distinct from the Court’s official majority opinion, which presents the main reasoning that carries the decision, and from a dissent, which disagrees with the outcome. Per curiam is typically an unsigned, unsigned, brief decision by the whole court. Multiple concurrences can exist, each offering its own rationale for the same result.

A concurring opinion is written when a justice agrees with the Court’s outcome but wants to express a different legal reasoning or to add extra points not covered by the majority. It lets the justice support the same result while highlighting alternative grounds, which can influence future cases or interpretations. This is distinct from the Court’s official majority opinion, which presents the main reasoning that carries the decision, and from a dissent, which disagrees with the outcome. Per curiam is typically an unsigned, unsigned, brief decision by the whole court. Multiple concurrences can exist, each offering its own rationale for the same result.