Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, the first female justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, has died at the age of 93, the Court has announced. O'Connor was appointed to the Supreme Court by Republican President Ronald Reagan and served from 1981 to 2006. Although conservative in ideology, he gained a reputation as a moderate jurist. He voted for abortion rights and gay rights.
Her arrival at the Supreme Court was a milestone in the struggle of women to break through in positions of power in their quest for equality. "As women rise to power, barriers will fall. As society sees what women can do, as women see what women can do, there will be more women doing things, and we'll all be better off for it," said Sandra Day O'Connor in a speech about women in power in November 1990.
Although the position of Supreme Court justice is for life, Justice O'Connor announced her retirement from the Supreme Court in July 2005. Initially, President George W. Bush nominated John Roberts to replace her. However, when Chief Justice William Rehnquist died in September 2005, Bush decided to nominate Roberts to fill the vacancy and has been presiding over the Court ever since. Then, in October, Bush initially nominated attorney Harriet Miers to replace O'Connor, but O'Connor decided to withdraw her nomination. Finally, in November, Bush nominated conservative Justice Samuel Alito to fill the vacancy left by O'Connor, whose resignation became effective when Alito was confirmed.
Following her retirement from the Tribunal on 31 January 2006, Judge O'Connor continued to be active as a tireless advocate for judicial independence and the rule of law around the world. In recognition of her lifetime achievements, on August 12, 2009, President Barack Obama awarded Judge O'Connor the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor.
[Breaking news. Enlargement to come.]
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