The Supreme Court yesterday barred a former Louisiana inmate from suing prison officials who cut off his dreadlocks in violation of his Rastafari religious beliefs.

The justices condemned what happened to the former inmate, Damon Landor, but they ruled that a federal law designed to protect the religious rights of inmates does not permit lawsuits for money damages against individuals even when rights are violated.

The high court, in a 6-3 decision, agreed with lower courts that without exception had ruled that the law, the Religious Land Use and Institutionalised Persons Act, cannot be used to hold those who violate inmates’ rights financially responsible.