Ketanji Brown Jackson

U.S Supreme Court nominee, Ketanji Brown Jackson has gone through a four day hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, the panel in charge of approving or rejecting her nomination. She has told senators she will be independent and apply the law “without fear or favour”. If confirmed, Judge Jackson, 51, will be the first black woman justice named to the highest American court. While civil rights and liberal advocacy groups have queued up to support the nomination, conservatives say they will closely scrutinise Judge Jackson’s judicial philosophy, or how she views and interprets the law. Of particular interest will be her time as a public defender and as vice-chair of the U.S. Sentencing Commission.

nominee designated candidate / hearing audience, session / Senate Judiciary Committee 22 U.S. senators whose role is to oversee the Department of Justice (DOJ), consider executive and judicial nominations, as well as review pending legislation / panel board, committee / favour partiality, favouritism / justice judge / advocacy defence / to queue up to line up, here, to speak favourably about, approve of / to scrutinise to examine very closely / public defender lawyer appointed to represent people who otherwise cannot reasonably afford to hire a lawyer to defend themselves in a trial / vice-chair deputy leader / U.S. Sentencing Commission independent agency of the judicial branch of the U.S. federal government. It is responsible for articulating the U.S. Federal Sentencing Guidelines for the federal courts.