These more common procedures have long been protected under Supreme Court precedents, which the new ruling strongly reaffirmed.

The ruling also reaffirmed capital punishment as a violation of Section 7 of Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

The ruling reaffirms a core principle of American law: anyone behind bars has a right to challenge that imprisonment in court.

The ruling reaffirmed the state's duty to provide effective schooling, not just equal spending.

The degree to which this kind of leading case can be said to have "settled" the law is less than in situations where many rulings have reaffirmed the same principle.

"This ruling reaffirms that fundamental purpose."

The government maintains the ruling also reaffirmed its right to impose conservation measures in the area.

The decision also fits squarely with last year's ruling in a Missouri case reaffirming the validity of the $1,000 limit on individual contributions to candidates for federal office.

"The ruling reaffirms the one man, one vote rule," Mr. Gomes, said.

The ruling reaffirmed the validity of property deeds issued prior to 1974.