Ketanji Brown Jackson was sworn in on Thursday as the 116th Supreme Court Justice and his first black woman on the bench, a historic change for an institution that for the first time no longer consists of a majority of white men. “I am truly grateful to be part of the promise of our great Nation,” Jackson said in a statement released by the court’s intelligence bureau. Jackson took the double oaths in a simple ceremony in the West Courtroom that was broadcast live. Supreme Court Justice John G. Roberts Jr. gave the constitutional oath and Judge Stephen G. Breyer, the man she replaced and for whom he served as a clerk, led her to the oath. Her husband, Patrick Jackson, was holding two Bibles on which she rested her hand. A formal awards ceremony will take place in the fall, with the new judge and Roberts taking the traditional walk up the court steps. Four women in the Supreme Court would bring historic, almost gender equality, to an institution long dominated by white men Roberts said Jackson, who was confirmed by the Senate in April, was looking forward to going to work “without further delay” and welcomed her to “our court and our joint call.” Her swearing-in allows her to clean up her rooms – she has already hired four lawyers – and to take part in urgent petitions to this court summer. She and the other judges will also consider cases that may be added to the court file for the term, which begins in October. Jackson’s statement was: “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. 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. I am also very grateful for the time and attention given to me by the Prime Minister and Judge Breyer. Justice Breyer has been my personal friend and mentor for the past two decades, in addition to being part of today’s official practice. In the wake of his exemplary service, with the support of my family and friends, and always aware of my duty to promote the rule of law, I am in a good position to serve the American people. “ In the campaign of pressure on Judge Stephen Breyer to retire Breyer, whose retirement became official on Thursday, also issued a statement saying that “Jackson’s hard work, integrity and intelligence have earned her a place in this Court.” “I am happy for my fellow judges,” he added. “They get a colleague who is compassionate, thoughtful and collective. I’m glad for America. “Ketanji will interpret the law prudently and fairly, helping this law work better for the American people, whom it serves.” All the judges attended the ceremony on the last day of their term, according to the court’s public information office, except Judge Neil M. Gorsuch. The office did not explain his absence. Retired Judge Anthony M. Kennedy and his wife were also present, along with the wives of Breyer and Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh. Jackson, 51, was chosen for court by President Biden after 83-year-old Breyer announced his plans to resign this year. Although confirmed, he waited for Breyer to complete the last term of his four-decade judicial career. Her nomination by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the DC track means that four women will simultaneously serve on the Supreme Court for the first time in its 233-year history, as close as possible to gender equality in the nine-person seat. Ketanji Brown Jackson for being “first” and why she likes Survivor A liberal justice that replaces another liberal will not change the ideological direction of the court, and law professors and political scientists are divided over whether gender significantly influences legal interpretation. But those who welcome the change say it is important for representative reasons and argue that it could strengthen the public’s view of the court’s legitimacy. In the new court, the oldest and longest-serving judge is Clarence Thomas, a 74-year-old black man. In addition, the replacement of Breyer by Jackson will peak an almost complete turnover of the Supreme Court in less than a generation. Upon Jackson’s arrival, the court will consist exclusively of baby boomers and Gen Xers. In an interview with the Washington Post in May, Jackson acknowledged the pressure she would feel as “first”, but said being an appointed judge was not the same as being an elected politician. “Obviously the law and the crisis are different from politics,” Jackson said. “I do not consider myself to be deliverable, as if I were appointed to reach a certain result or a result or something similar. This is not how the law works. “But I think it’s important for me to continue to do what I do as a judge: to write views that are clear, that people understand, that are in line with the law and legal principles.”
