This great lady was the dean of the Supreme Court of the United States.
87-year-old Ruth Bader Ginsburg walked away on Friday September 18, reports The world. Progressive judge, who fought for the cause of women, minorities or the environment, died of pancreatic cancer, surrounded by her family.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg was hospitalized twice this summer and her health reports were being followed closely by Democrats. Why ? Fears about his succession, great power of President Donald Trump.
The latter greeted a "exceptional woman" who lead "an exceptional life", without revealing her intentions before qualifying her a few hours later as "colossus of law".
For his part, former President Barack Obama tweeted: "Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg fought to the end, through her cancer, with unwavering faith in our democracy and its ideals. This is how we remember her. But she also left instructions on how she wanted her legacy to be honored. "
An example for generations of women
It was in 1993 that Ruth Bader Ginsburg was appointed to the high court by President Bill Clinton, thanks to her fight to advance women's rights in the 1970s. And she became extremely popular. With a positioning in line with the aspirations of the young generation, she is even nicknamed "Notorious RBG" in reference to the rapper Notorious BIG.
Her career is unique: first a wife and then a young mother, she started a family before starting her law studies at Harvard. A graduate, Ruth Bader Ginsburg faced discrimination for being a woman in a still very masculine field. Cleric for a few years, she then became a teacher and then a lawyer, thus defending cases relating to women's rights and founding the Women's Rights Project of the ACLU, a major association for the defense of human rights in the United States. And in 1980, on the nomination of Democratic President Jimmy Carter, she became a judge at the Washington Court of Appeal.
A political battle in sight?
According to NPR radio, Ruth Bader Ginsburg had confided her last wishes to her granddaughter, Clara Spera. "My dearest wish is not to be replaced until a new president is sworn in."
A request that will face a Donald Trump in a hurry. The latter said last August that he would not hesitate to appoint a judge to the Supreme Court even very close to the election. "I will move quickly", he said on conservative radio.
"The political battle is going to be huge" because if Donald Trump wins his case, "the Supreme Court will become the most conservative for a century", according to law professor Carl Tobias, relayed by the FranceInfo site.