Justice Ginsburg, a prominent feminist and figurehead for Liberals in the US has lost her battle pancreatic cancer on Friday.
Ginsburg was the oldest justice at age 87 and the second woman to sit in the Supreme Court. Ginsburg served for 27 years after being appointed by Bill Clinton in 1993.
Ginsburg had a renowned legal career which spanned over six decades with its share of struggles.
Born in Brooklyn, New York City in 1933 to Jewish immigrant parents, she studied at Harvard Law School where she was one of nine women in a class of approximately 500 men. Ginsburg finished top of her class, however did not receive any job offers after graduation. Nonetheless, she continued to push into the legal profession throughout the 1960s.
In 1972 Ginsburg was the co-founder of the Women’s Right Project at the American Civil Liberties Union. In 1972 she became the first tenured female law professor at Columbia Law School.
In 1980 Ginsburg was nominated to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia in an effort of then-President Jimmy Carter’s attempt to diversify the Courts.
Ginsburg’s death has raised prospects of Republican US President Donald Trump trying to expand the court’s conservative majority. There are talks that this could occur before this November’s election. In the days leading up to her death, Ginsburg expressed strong disapproval for such move publicly stating:
“My most fervent wish is that I will not be replaced until a new president is installed”
A political battle over who will succeed Ginsburg is about to detonate.
President Donald Trump has appointed two judges since taking office. The current court is believed to have a 5-4 conservative majority. The US Senate are required to approve a new judge as nominated by the President.
The Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has indicated that if a nominee was put forward before the election, there would be a vote on the nominee.
Democratic presidential challenger Joe Biden has released a statement indicating:
“There is no doubt – let me be clear – that the voters should pick the president and the president should pick the justice for the Senate to consider.”
For now, we mourn the passing of an iconic women and advocate in the legal system.
Chief Justice John Roberts has released a statement:
“Our Nation has lost a jurist of historic stature… We at the Supreme Court have lost a cherished colleague. Today we mourn, but with confidence that future generations will remember Ruth Bader Ginsburg as we knew her – a tireless and resolute champion of justice.”
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Article by Sammi Dutschke
Sammi is a Solicitor here at Brooke Winter Solicitors and provides assistance for criminal, traffic and family law matters.
As a busy practitioner, Sammi has worked as a family and domestic violence duty lawyer and has gained valuable experience and knowledge in these fields. Sammi has prior experience in family law alongside her experience in both prosecution, through the Department of Public Prosecutions, and criminal defence. Sammi’s studies in psychological sciences and law provide additional insight into these areas and the difficulties faced by her clients throughout the process.
