The US Supreme Court announced the death of Judge Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who is considered a progressive icon and the most prominent judge of the court, at the age of 87, after losing her battle with pancreatic cancer.
Known as the "notorious RPG", Ginsburg played a large role in defending women's rights early in her career and was an influential progressive force within the Supreme Court as the leader of a left-leaning coalition among a conservative majority of judges.
Ginsburg, who was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1933, served in the Supreme Court for 27 years, and was appointed as a member in a decision issued by former President Bill Clinton in 1993, and was known for her defense of women's rights and gender equality.
In recent years Ginsburg served as the senior member of the liberal wing of the Supreme Court, where she consistently voted liberally on the most prominent and controversial social issues, including abortion rights, same-sex marriage, immigration and health care.
US President Donald Trump mourned the judge by saying that she was a "giant in law," and added in an official statement posted on Twitter, "Judge Ginsburg was known for her brilliant mind and strong opposition in the Supreme Court, and she proved that one can disagree without being annoying to colleagues or destinations." Look different. "
For his part, Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden said, "Her views and opposition will continue to shape the basis of the law," as Chief Justice John Roberts said, "Our nation has lost a human rights scholar of historic stature."
A photo of Judge Ginsburg on the Supreme Court building in Manhattan (Reuters)
Heated controversy
Ginsburg's departure has sparked controversy between the Democratic and Republican parties, as Democrats are calling for the appointment of a successor to be postponed until after the presidential elections, while Republicans hope that President Trump will appoint a conservative judge to strengthen the conservative control of the court.
And if Trump chooses an alternative to Ginsburg, he is expected to be ratified with record speed in the Republican-dominated Senate, with the aim of securing a comfortable majority for conservatives in the court that has the final say in a number of sensitive issues on which Americans are divided, such as abortion, the acquisition of weapons and the death penalty.
Biden told reporters that the appointment of a successor to Ginsburg should wait until after the election of a new president, while US Senate President Mitch McConnell said that the House would vote on President Trump's candidate to replace the judge on the Supreme Court.