WORLD NEWS: US - Justice Antonin Scalia's death sparks battle for Supreme Court control in US

Justice Scalia is Second from left in front row

The death of one of the most conservative members of the US Supreme Court, Justice Antonin Scalia, has sparked arguments over the process to find his successor.

President Barack Obama said he would nominate a replacement.

But the Republican candidates for the presidential nomination have called for a delay until after the election.
Before Justice Scalia's death, the US high court had a conservative 5-4 majority.

It succeeded in stalling major efforts by the Obama administration on climate change and immigration.

With places on the Supreme Court now balanced 4-4 between liberals and conservatives, the fight for influence in one of the highest forums for decision-making in the US promises to be as fraught as the current presidential race.


Justice Scalia, who was 79, was appointed by President Ronald Reagan in 1986. He died in his sleep early on Saturday.

"For almost 30 years, Justice Scalia was a larger-than-life presence on the bench," President Obama said, calling him "an extraordinary judicial thinker" with "an incisive wit".

Leading Democrats have expressed their eagerness for a new judge to be appointed soon.


The president said he intends to name a replacement "in due time"


Hillary Clinton, a candidate for the Democratic nomination, said Mr Obama "is president of the United States until Jan 20, 2017. That is a fact my friends, whether the Republicans like it or not"


Fellow candidate Bernie Sanders urged the party to "get on with it".

Any nominee for the Supreme Court would have to be approved by the Republican-controlled Senate, which could also delay a decision until after the 2016 election.


Donald Trump, who leads polls to be the Republican presidential candidate, said Senate Republicans should "delay, delay, delay"

Another candidate, Texas Senator Ted Cruz, said the party must avoid losing high court influence "for a generation"

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said the post "should not be filled until we have a new president".

President Obama said he hoped the Senate would respect his nomination to the court and "fulfil its responsibility to give that person a fair hearing and a timely vote".

Born in 1936 in Trenton, New Jersey, Justice Scalia was the first Italian American to serve on the high court.

He was one of the most prominent proponents of so-called originalism - a conservative legal philosophy that believes the US Constitution has a fixed meaning and does not change with the times.

Follow The Forefront on facebook Global audience / facebook Nigerian audience  /The Blogger's  facebook personal account   and facebook  (fan page)/  &  twitter

Instagram: osagiejoshua

BBM Channel: C002CB006

ADVERTISE WITH THE FOREFRONT: +234-803-698-6103. For more details CLICK HERE NOW
Share the Forefront's posts on social media with options below. Thank you!