Title 28Judiciary and Judicial ProcedureRelease 119-73

§1253 Direct appeals from decisions of three-judge courts

Title 28 › Part PART IV— - JURISDICTION AND VENUE › Chapter CHAPTER 81— - SUPREME COURT › § 1253

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

A party may appeal to the Supreme Court from a three-judge district court’s order that gives or refuses a temporary or permanent injunction, after notice and a hearing, unless another law says otherwise.

Full Legal Text

Title 28, §1253

Judiciary and Judicial Procedure — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

Except as otherwise provided by law, any party may appeal to the Supreme Court from an order granting or denying, after notice and hearing, an interlocutory or permanent injunction in any civil action, suit or proceeding required by any Act of Congress to be heard and determined by a district court of three judges.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Based on title 28, U.S.C., 1940 ed., §§ 47, 47a, 380 and 380a (Mar. 3, 1911, ch. 231, §§ 210, 266, 36 Stat. 1150, 1162; Mar. 4, 1913, ch. 160, 37 Stat. 1013; Oct. 22, 1913, ch. 32, 38, Stat. 220; Feb. 13, 1925, ch. 229, § 1, 43 Stat. 938; Aug. 24, 1937, ch. 754, § 3, 50 Stat. 752). This section consolidates the provisions of section 47, 47a, 380, and 380a of title 28, U.S.C., 1940 ed., relating to direct appeals from decisions of three-judge courts involving orders of the Interstate Commerce Commission or holding State or Federal laws repugnant to the Constitution of the United States. For distribution of other provisions of the sections on which this revised section is based, see Distribution Table. The language in section 380 of title 28, U.S.C., 1940 ed., referring to restraining the

Enforcement

or execution of an order made by an administrative board or a State officer was omitted as covered by this revised section and section 2281 of this title. Words in section 380a of title 28, U.S.C., 1940 ed., “This section shall not be construed to be in derogation of any right of direct appeal to the Supreme Court of the United States under existing provisions of law,” were omitted as unnecessary. Section 217 of title 7, U.S.C., 1940 ed., Agriculture, provides for a three-judge court in proceedings to suspend or restrain the

Enforcement

of orders of the Secretary of Agriculture under the Packers and Stockyards Act of 1921. The final proviso of section 502 of title 33, U.S.C., 1940 ed., Navigation and Navigable Waters, for direct appeal in certain criminal cases for failure to alter bridges obstructing navigation, is recommended for express repeal in view of its implied repeal by section 345 of title 28, U.S.C., 1940 ed. (See U.S. v. Belt, 1943, 63 S.Ct. 1278, 319 U.S. 521, 87 L.Ed. 1559. See reviser’s note under section 1252 of this title.) Section 28 of title 15, U.S.C., 1940 ed., Commerce and Trade, and section 44 of title 49, U.S.C., 1940 ed., Transportation, are identical and provide for convening of a three-judge court to hear and determine civil cases arising under the Sherman anti-trust law and the Interstate Commerce Act, respectively, wherein the United States is plaintiff and when the Attorney General deems such cases of general public importance. section 401(d) of title 47, U.S.C., 1940 ed., Telegraphs, Telephones, and Radiotelegraphs, made the provisions of section 28 and 29 of title 15, U.S.C., 1940 ed., Commerce and Trade, section 44 and 45 of title 49, U.S.C., 1940 ed., Transportation, and section 345(1) of title 28, U.S.C., 1940 ed., relating to three-judge courts and direct appeals, applicable to orders of the Federal Communications Commission enforcing the Communications Act of 1934.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

28 U.S.C. § 1253

Title 28Judiciary and Judicial Procedure

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73