Top US court orders removal ofTen Commandments monument

UNITED STATES Supreme Court justices overruled Chief Justice Roy Moore yesterday and directed his Ten Commandments monument be removed from its public site in the Alabama Judicial Building.

The senior associate justice, Gorman Houston, said the eight associate justices instructed the building’s manager to “take all steps necessary to comply ... as soon as practicable”. Some supporters of Judge Moore vowed to fight the move through civil disobedience.

A federal judge had ruled the monument violates the constitution’s ban on government establishment of religion and must be removed from its public place. He had set Thursday as his deadline, but Judge Moore said he would not move it.