The 2025 Michigan Supreme Court Ruling on LWOP Protections: Morally Justifiable?

Authors

• Asa Smith, Illinois Wesleyan UniversityFollow

Abstract

This paper examines the moral permissibility of the 2025 Michigan Supreme Court ruling that found life-without-parole (LWOP) sentences for 19- and 20-year-olds to be unconstitutional under Michigan state law. The paper supports its argument on whether the ruling was morally permissible by drawing on neuroscientific data as well as moral frameworks such as a rehabilitative theory of punishment and John Rawls’s ‘veil of ignorance’ thought experiment for the application of justified principles in society. The paper considers and replies to potential objections to its argument and to alternative interpretations of the moral frameworks it deploys. It concludes by contending that the mindful and rational decision would be to enact LWOP protections and that the Michigan Supreme Court ruling was, in fact, a morally justified decision.

Recommended Citation

Smith, Asa (2026) "The 2025 Michigan Supreme Court Ruling on LWOP Protections: Morally Justifiable?," Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research: Vol. 31
Available at: https://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/respublica/vol31/iss1/7