The Supreme Court of Canada has declined to revisit a request from four Canadian men detained in Syria, effectively closing the door on their appeal. This decision has prompted strong reactions, particularly from the mother of one of the detainees, who claims that the court has effectively signed her son's death warrant. In a separate case, the U.S. Supreme Court vacated a federal appeals court's ruling that had spared Alabama death row inmate Joseph Clifton Smith from execution due to claims of intellectual disability. The court has ordered the lower court to provide a clearer ruling after reviewing multiple IQ scores related to Smith's case. This ruling raises questions about the standards used to determine intellectual disability in capital cases, as the Supreme Court seeks to ensure that executions do not violate the Eighth Amendment's prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment. Additionally, the U.S. Supreme Court is set to consider whether federal appeals courts can review late appeals from non-citizens facing deportation, which could have significant implications for immigration law.