Who is Ruth Bader Ginsburg and how will her death impact US Presidential Elections?

Team Udayavani, Sep 19, 2020, 2:15 PM IST

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the second woman to sit on US Supreme Court, has passed away at the age of 87. Ginsburg died at her home in Washington of complications from metastatic pancreatic cancer

Ruth Bader Ginsburg was born March 15, 1933 in Brooklyn, New York. She was the associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1993 to 2020. She was the second woman to serve on the Supreme Court.

Before President Bill Clinton appointed her to the Supreme Court in 1993, Ginsburg argued cases before the court as a scholar and advocate of the women’s rights movement. She was a high-profile proponent of the unsuccessful effort to adopt an Equal Rights Amendment to the U.S Constitution.

Ginsburg’s death comes just over six weeks before Election Day is likely to set off a heated battle over whether President Donald Trump should nominate, and the Republican-led Senate should confirm, her replacement, or if the seat should remain vacant until the outcome of his race against Democrat Joe Biden is known.

With the absence of the liberal judge, the Supreme Court of the United States is now open to being rebalanced in Republican favour and has the potential to influence American life for decades to come.

As reported by The Australian, A Trump replacement would change the balance to a conservative majority of six to three, meaning abortion rights, gun control and immigration will all now potentially be on the ballot in just 46 days.

However, According to NPR, Ginsburg dictated a deathbed statement to her granddaughter earlier this month. Ginsburg said, “My most fervent wish is that I will not be replaced until a new president is installed,”

But, it is said that her wish will not be fulfilled as President Donald Trump is now poised to nominate a staunchly conservative jurist to fill the vacancy

Let me be clear: The voters should pick a President, and that President should select a successor to Justice Ginsburg.

— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) September 19, 2020