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WASHINGTON: Moving beyond a rancorous confirmation battle that divided the country, Brett Kavanaugh got down to business as a US Supreme Court justice on Tuesday and took an active role in arguments alongside his eight new colleagues on his first day on the job.
He took his seat at the right end of the mahogany bench in the ornate courtroom — the location assigned to the court’s juniormost member — and wore traditional black robes like the other justices.
With police standing by, a small group of protesters gathered outside the courthouse, holding signs saying ‘Shame’ and ‘He sits on a throne of lies’.
Before the arguments, Chief Justice John Roberts welcomed Kavanaugh, 53, to a court that now has five conservative members and four liberals.
On Monday night, at his swearing-in ceremony at the White House, Kavanaugh said he was starting his new job with “no bitterness”. This was after Trump apologised to him and his family for the “terrible pain” they suffered in the wake of the allegations, declaring him “innocent” of the sexual assault allegations that nearly derailed his nomination. “You, sir, under historic scrutiny, were proven innocent,” the President said.
Kavanaugh asked several questions during two hours of lively oral arguments involving a federal sentencing law for repeat offenders, three days after being confirmed by the Republican-led Senate despite being accused of sexual assault. Appointed by President Donald Trump, Kavanaugh’s confirmation cemented a conservative majority on the court that could last for years.
The tone inside the courtroom was collegial, in contrast to the venom of Kavanaugh’s confirmation fight.
He took his seat at the right end of the mahogany bench in the ornate courtroom — the location assigned to the court’s juniormost member — and wore traditional black robes like the other justices.
With police standing by, a small group of protesters gathered outside the courthouse, holding signs saying ‘Shame’ and ‘He sits on a throne of lies’.
Before the arguments, Chief Justice John Roberts welcomed Kavanaugh, 53, to a court that now has five conservative members and four liberals.
On Monday night, at his swearing-in ceremony at the White House, Kavanaugh said he was starting his new job with “no bitterness”. This was after Trump apologised to him and his family for the “terrible pain” they suffered in the wake of the allegations, declaring him “innocent” of the sexual assault allegations that nearly derailed his nomination. “You, sir, under historic scrutiny, were proven innocent,” the President said.
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