USA

Heated debate over Scalia’s successor

In the middle of the election campaign dies, the most senior US judges. There is no time to Mourn, finally, there must be space filled. And the successor to the United States for decades to dominate.

Justice Antonin Scalia was in 1986 by then-President Ronald Reagan as the first italienischstämmmiger judges in the Supreme Court have been appointed. So could the ore conservative Catholic convert of about thirty years, the US interpretation of the law shape. On social issues like the Rights of Homosexuals, the Waffengesetzen, the death penalty, or abortion, he had sharply against liberal views positioned. At the age of 79 years died Scalia at night in his sleep during a Jagdausflugs.

The deceased judge had “our understanding of justice profoundly influenced,” said President Barack Obama, the Scalias family “sincere condolences” transmitted. At the same time, made Democrat Obama made clear that he – like the Constitution – determine a successor will. The lifetime-appointed Supreme judges, however, need the Senate to be confirmed, and there are the Republicans about majority.

“Retard, retard, retard”

The highest court in the United States in General has a greater weight than in most other countries. Because Parteienstreit in Congress, often, a broad consensus can be avoided, the Supreme Court again and again from one side or the other turned on, to laws a Word of power to speak of. This makes him a kind of Ersatzparlament. With Scalia had the conservative judges, a majority of five to four votes, many of the judgments that fell along those lines.

Promptly immediately ensued a sharp dispute about the question of who, when, and the successors of the deceased appoint must. The six leading Republican presidential candidates are strictly against any appointment by Obama. In her ninth TV debate, they supplied although so far the toughest match, however, in this question absolutely agree. Senator Marco Rubio warned that Obama’s attempts to “us a liberal justice to instil”. Billionaire Donald Trump said, ” it is the responsibility of the Republicans, in the Senate to “delay, delay, delay”.

The Supreme Court blowing the U.S. flag at half-mast

The opinion that only the next President, a successor Scalias select should also represent other leading Republicans. “The American people should have a say in the appointment of its next Chief judge,” said the Republican Senate majority leader Daschle in the Senate, Mitch McConnell. “Therefore, if the open Item is not to be occupied until we have a new President.”

Republican Chuck Grassley, Chairman of the Senatsjustizausschusses, said: “Since the last 80 years, it is common practice, during a Präsidentschaftswahljahrs no nominees for the Supreme court to confirm.” The new head of state in November will be selected and draws in January 2017 to the White house.

Warning of a “shameful abandonment”

Support for Obama from his democratic bearing. The former Secretary of state and Präsidentschaftsbewerberin Hillary Clinton accuses the Republicans, with their demands for a postponement of the renewal for the coming year the Constitution to flout. “The Senate has a constitutional obligation, which he is not party-political reasons to give up.”

The influential democratic Senator Harry Reid said that the vacant Post is not to occupy, would be a “shameful abandonment” of the Senate on “one of its most significant constitutional responsibilities”.

The members of the Supreme court during the visit of Pope Francis in September 2014

Of the renewal depends on it, whether in the future, liberal or conservative judges in the Supreme Court in the longer term, have the Say. This year, there are still some important decisions, so over the of the Republicans contested orders by Obama to protect the climate and to the relaxation of Einwanderungsregeln. In case of a tie of four to four vote would have been the previous decision of the highest judicial instance was. For Obama’s Einwanderungsreform, which is the Supreme court until the summer wants to check, this would mean that further to the decision of a Federal appeals court ruled that Louisiana applies, the Reform had stopped.

rb/wl (afp, ap, dpa, rtr)