U.S. Supreme Court Dean Ruth Bader Ginsburg is dead

Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the dean of the American Supreme Court passed away this Friday, September 18, 2020. REUTERS / Jonathan Ernst

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Second woman in US history to sit on the Supreme Court, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the dean of the US Supreme Court, died at the age of 87 from pancreatic cancer.

She had tirelessly championed gender equality.

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With our correspondent in Washington,

Anne Corpet

His name appears on t-shirts, coffee mugs, and even pairs of socks.

His life has been the subject of a film, and

a long documentary

.

RBG as everyone in the United States calls him was an icon of the Democratic camp and young progressive Americans.

But she was also and above all a lawyer with an exceptional career.

A Harvard graduate at a time when women were scarce, she made a name for herself by winning several decisive Supreme Court victories in cases relating to gender discrimination.

She was appointed to the highest court in the country in 1993 and over the years defends increasingly progressive positions.

Its petite silhouette quickly becomes essential.

An opportunity for Trump to give a third judge

When Donald Trump is elected, she decides to keep her seat despite her high age.

Each of his hospitalizations gave rise to some anxiety in the Democratic camp.

His death theoretically offers the American president the possibility of

appointing a third judge

to the Supreme Court.

Democrats want to procrastinate and wait for the election results, like Senate Democrat Leader Chuck Schumer.

After having greeted a "

 giant of American history 

", he asks not to rush the choice of his successor.

A few days before her death, she dictated to her granddaughter her last wish: not to be replaced before the inauguration of a new president in January 2021. Conversely, Mitch McConnell, the Republican leader of the Senate says ready to organize a vote on his successor if Donal Trump appoints one.

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