“We are here today to take the oath of office of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to become a Deputy Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court,” Chief Justice John Roberts said at the start of the ceremony, acknowledging that the oaths would allow Jackson. to start its work “without further delay”. In a short live broadcast at the Supreme Court, Jackson first took the oath of office under Roberts, followed by the oath given by retired Judge Stephen Breyer. Breyer’s departure from the Supreme Court was formalized Thursday afternoon, paving the way for Jackson, his former employee, to fill his position. “On behalf of all members of the tribunal, I am pleased to welcome Judge Jackson to court and to our joint call,” Roberts said as applause erupted. Jackson took the vows by hand in two Bibles held by her husband, Patrick: a family Bible and the Harlan Bible, which Judge John Marshall Harlan donated to the court in 1906. Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson is sworn in as a Deputy Chief Justice of the Supreme Court on Thursday, June 30, 2022. Supreme Court Most of Jackson’s new colleagues were present at the swearing-in ceremony: Judges Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett, as well as former Judge Anthony Kennedy. In a statement released by the court, Jackson, 51, thanked Roberts and Breyer, calling him a “personal friend and mentor” for 20 years. He said he was “in a good position to serve the American people.” “I wholeheartedly accept the official responsibility to support and defend the United States Constitution and to administer justice without fear or favor, so help me, my God,” he said. “I am truly grateful to be part of the promise of our great nation. I express my sincere thanks to all my new colleagues for their warm and kind welcome.” Breyer congratulated the newer justice. “I’m happy for Ketanji today. Her hard work, integrity and intelligence have earned her a place in this court. I’m happy for my fellow judges. They have won a colleague who is compassionate, thoughtful and collective. “Ketanji will interpret the law prudently and fairly, helping this law work better for the American people he serves,” he said in a statement. Breyer announced in January his plans to step down at the end of his term, giving President Biden his first chance to make his mark in the Supreme Court. The addition of Jackson will not change the ideological composition of the court, which is firmly controlled by the conservative majority of six judges. “I am honored that the first judicial candidate I chose as President – the brilliant lawyer who became ‘Judge Jackson’ – has now become ‘Judge Jackson,’” Biden said in a statement Thursday. “Her historic swearing in today represents a profound step forward for our nation, for all the young, black girls who now see themselves reflected in our Supreme Court, and for all of us Americans. The Supreme Court has just acquired “A colleague with a world-class mindset, the decent temperament that the American people expect from a justice and the strongest credentials imaginable.” Mr Biden also thanked Mr Breyer for his “many years of exemplary service”. Jackson, who served on the federal appeals court in Washington, was confirmed by the Senate in a bipartisan vote in April.
Although three Republican senators eventually joined all 50 Democrats in the vote to approve Jackson’s candidacy, the confirmation hearings were not without controversy, as some Republican senators tried to characterize her as an activist who would . Their criticisms, aimed at Jackson’s history of convicting child pornography cases as a federal federal court judge, have failed to derail efforts by White House and Democratic Senate leaders to rally bipartisan support for his nomination. of the recent Supreme Court. confirmation battles.