The Supreme Court took the unusual step of agreeing to hear an appeal after having turned down the application just two months ago.
The landmark cases were filed by detainees at Guantanamo Bay who were told by lower courts that they had no right to challenge their imprisonment in U.S. courts.
An affidavit filed by a military officer involved in the Combatant Status Review Tribunals, which were supposed to assure that only true enemy combatants are kept in prison, might have influenced the court's decision. The officer's affidavit mentioned pressure from military superiors to rule against the prisoners, and the poor quality of evidence against them.
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