Story highlights The Supreme Court sent the challenge to Obamacare's contraceptive mandate back to a lower court

The decision was unanimous

Washington (CNN) The Supreme Court on Monday avoided issuing a major ruling on a challenge brought by religiously affiliated non-profit groups to the Affordable Care Act's contraceptive mandate.

The justices, in a unanimous decision, wrote that they were not deciding the case on the merits but instead sent the case back down to the lower courts for opposing parties to work out a compromise.

"The court expresses no view on the merits of the cases," the justices wrote, adding that "given the gravity of the dispute" and the fact that the parties have clarified their positions during the course of the litigation the parties should be able to "arrive at an approach."

The decision to send the case back to the appellate level appears to be a direct impact of Justice Antonin Scalia's death in February. Scalia, a stalwart conservative, would likely have ruled against the Obama administration.

The court currently has four justices appointed by Republican presidents and four by Democrats.

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