Ruth Bader Ginsburg dies: America's icon of justice

Heroine of Liberal America: Ruth Bader Ginsburg Photo: Jonathan Ernst / REUTERS

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She had foreseen what was in store for the country. My ardent wish is that my judge's position will not be filled before a new president has been sworn in, Ruth Bader Ginsburg told her granddaughter Clara Spera just a few days ago. The icon of the US women's movement Ruth Bader Ginsburg died due to cancer on Friday at the age of 87 and a judge at the US Supreme Court for 27 years.

The President said, she led a great life. Whether you agreed with her or not, it was a great life.

Leading liberal voice

Ginsburg was born in Brooklyn, New York in March 1933, graduated from Columbia University with a law degree and later taught at Rutgers University in New Jersey . In 1993, Ginsburg was nominated for the Supreme Court by Bill Clinton, the US Senate upheld it with an overwhelming majority of 96-3. She quickly became the leading liberal voice in court. In a 2009 interview with the New York Times, she said abortion is one of those fundamental issues that the state should not interfere in women's decisions about.

Although Ginsburg was a heroine of liberal America, there have been critical voices in recent years albeit mostly behind closed doors. Many Democrats resented her for not having used Obama's years in office to take a dignified retreat in order to give the Democratic President the opportunity to appoint a left-liberal successor in court. Ginsburg suffered from cancer for more than 20 years, but insisted until the end that her health would allow her to continue the official business.

Ginsburg had made no secret of how little she thought of Donald Trump. In an interview she called him a swindler, although she later admitted that the remark was rather unwise given her commitment to political neutrality.