US Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia dies aged 79

[-:Undertaker:-]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...tice-dead.html

Antonin Scalia, longest serving US Supreme Court judge, dies aged 79

Death of conservative justice, who was appointed in 1986 by President Ronald Reagan, during election year will ignite fierce battle over replacement

Antonin Scalia, the longest serving judge on the US Supreme Court, died in his sleep on Saturday at the age of 79 during a hunting trip. His body was found when he did not appear for breakfast at ranch in West Texas, according to local reports.

KVIA, a TV station, said he had reported feeling unwell after a day of quail hunting on Friday.

Justice Scalia, who was appointed by Ronald Reagan in 1986, was one of four conservative judges on the nine-strong Supreme Court. He was the only child of a Sicilian college professor from New York and became the first Italian-American to be appointed to the court.

He was a frequent source of frustration to liberals and last year issued a nine-page dissent when the court legalised same-sex marriage across the US, describing the majority decision as a “judicial Putsch” that posed a “threat to American democracy”.

Justice Scalia was one of the judges who dissented when the Supreme Court declined to strike down Obama Care - the Affordable Care Act. He wrote a 21-page opinion ridiculing the ruling. he wrote: He also wrote that the ruling "will be cited by litigants endlessly, to the confusion of honest jurisprudence.” Justice Scalia added the decision was "interpretive jiggery-pokery," a "defence of the indefensible" and "pure applesauce."

His death is expected to ignite a fierce political battle over his replacement, with President Barack Obama likely to try to appoint a liberal successor. Within three hours of the announcement of Justice Scalia's death, Mr Obama said that he does intend to nominate a successor.

But with the Senate dominated by Republicans, the appointment is expected to be stalled until after November's election, becoming a campaign issue.

Scalia served on the Court for nearly thirty years, during which time he established a solidly conservative voting record and ideology, advocating textualism in statutory interpretation and originalism in constitutional interpretation. He was a strong defender of the powers of the executive branch, believing presidential power should be paramount in many areas. He opposed affirmative action and other policies that treated minorities as groups. He filed separate opinions in many cases and often castigated the Court's majority in his minority opinions using scathing language.

A shock and rather big news in the United States and American politics in which the Supreme Court is a big player. RIP Scalia.

I disagree with him on the strength of the executive as I believe it ought to be weak as stipulated in the Constitution. His stance on minorities was 100% though, with he himself being from a minority but arguing as the constitution does that each and every American should be treated equally.

Hopefully his replacement will be appointed by President Trump.