WILL the US Senate confirmation hearing for President Joe Biden's nomination of Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court become just an effort to feed opposition to Biden? America's Supreme Court has only nine members who serve lifetime terms, so perhaps it is understandable that ideologically split political parties will treat the nominee to a theatrical takedown over issues which have little to do with jurisprudence or judicial temperament. This has happened so many times in the last 40 years that no one is expecting anything less with the nomination of Jackson, Biden's first court appointment to replace the retiring Justice Stephen Breyer.
The Court plays an increasingly important place in a society that has large groups at opposite ends of the political, ideological and social spectrum. Abortion, the Second Amendment regarding gun ownership, issues around equality and immigration are all before the Court or about to be there. These issues are big right now, but in the larger sense related to the relationship of the federal government to its citizens and how to protect these rights when state governments have opinions that appear contrary to the national Constitution. More than 20 states want or have already enacted legislations making voting more difficult. Since voting is run by the 50 states and not the federal government, this is a giant issue of fairness.
Historians point to the awakening after the World War II that America's constitutional principles were not equally applied to minorities and women, especially in the southern states.
This story is from the April 4, 2022 edition of India Legal.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the April 4, 2022 edition of India Legal.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
PIL, Difficult To Swallow?
In a recent ruling, the Bombay High Court lamented the increasing number of frivolous public interest litigations being filed in courts and echoed the sentiments of the Supreme Court that such litigations are the bane of the judicial system. Is there any way to restrict their misuse?
Till Infertility Do Us Part...
The Calcutta High Court slammed a husband for initiating divorce proceedings due to his wife's infertility and asked him to be a pillar of support for her. Courts have often taken an empathetic view in such matters
IS THAT LEGAL?
Ignorance of law is no excuse. Here are answers to frequently asked queries regarding matters that affect us on a day-to-day basis
The Big Lie
In America, The Big Lie is an idiom used by Donald Trump's opponents and the media to describe his constant gripe about election fraud. Now, it seems more suited to another Republican, Congressman George Santos (right), who has been facing growing calls to resign after he admitted fabricating parts of his resume and biography since his election in New York last year.
Flying into the Sunset
Over 50 years since the first and original jumbo jet, the Boeing 747, took to the skies and revolutionized air travel, the last of the legendary aircraft (right) was delivered to a freight charter company, bringing down the curtain on one of aviation's most successful products.
Star Crossed
Actor and producer Alec Baldwin is a Hollywood legend, having starred in a range of movies, award winning TV sitcoms, and theatre. He was most recently seen in Mission Impossible Fallout, which is an apt description of his current situation.
Walkouts in the UK
An estimated half a million workers have gone on strike, shutting down thousands of schools, public transport and border disruption. It is the biggest day of industrial action for more than a decade.
Myanmar's Misery
Two years after the military coup ousted the elected government led by Aung San Suu Kyi, the brutal crackdown by the junta on so-called \"insurgents\" and civilian protesters has reached a new level with the use of air strikes, a new and deadly tactic in the ongoing civil war.
AMERICA'S ANGST
From messy, divisive politics to a series of mass shootings, and now black officers brutally beating another black man to death as seen in bodycam videos, America's domestic convulsions are cause for serious introspection
JUSTICE LEAGUE
There are few judicial appointment procedures in the world that are completely bereft of the overarching presence of either the executive or the legislature, or both. In the end, the judge is left with all the powers vested in him/her by the constitution to uphold the rule of law, within an atmosphere of external influences
