Document ID: ./input/supremecourt_opinions/opinions/22pdf/21-857_4357.pdf
Page Number: 8

Cite as:  599 U. S. ____ (2023) 

3 

Opinion of the Court 

§2255(e)’s  “saving  clause,”  which  provides  that  a  federal
prisoner may file a petition for a writ of habeas corpus un-
der §2241 if—and only if—§2255’s “remedy by motion is in-
adequate or ineffective to test the legality of his detention.” 
Invoking  this  clause,  Jones  petitioned  the  U. S.  District 
Court  for  the  Eastern  District  of  Arkansas,  the  district 
where he was imprisoned, for a writ of habeas corpus under
§2241.

The  District  Court  dismissed  Jones’  habeas  petition  for 
lack of subject-matter jurisdiction, and the Eighth Circuit
affirmed.  8 F. 4th 683 (2021).  The Eighth Circuit rejected 
Jones’ argument that the saving clause permits recourse to
§2241 to present a §2255(h)-barred claim based on an inter-
vening  decision  of  statutory  interpretation,  as  well  as  his 
argument that foreclosing relief on his Rehaif claim would 
violate the Suspension Clause, U. S. Const., Art. I, §9, cl. 2. 
In doing so, the Eighth Circuit deepened a split among the
Courts  of  Appeals  about  whether  prisoners  in  Jones’  cir-
cumstances may resort to §2241 via the saving clause.

We granted certiorari.  596 U. S. ___ (2022).  The Solicitor 
General then noticed her intent to defend the Eighth Cir-
cuit’s judgment but not its rationale.  We appointed Morgan 
Ratner as amicus curiae to argue in support of the Eighth
Circuit’s reasoning.  597 U. S. ___ (2022).  She has ably dis-
charged her responsibilities. 

II 
Consistent with the Eighth Circuit’s reasoning, we hold
that §2255(e)’s saving clause does not permit a prisoner as-
serting an intervening change in statutory interpretation to
circumvent  AEDPA’s  restrictions  on  second  or  successive 
§2255 motions by filing a §2241 petition.  We begin by con-
sidering  the  role  of  the  saving  clause  in  §2255  prior  to 
AEDPA’s  enactment.    We  then  consider  the  impact  of
AEDPA on the statutory scheme.