Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, 85, Has No Plans Of Retiring

At the age of 85, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has no immediate plans of stepping down.

“I’m now 85. My senior colleague, Justice John Paul Stevens, he stepped down when he was 90, so think I have about at least five more years,” Ginsburg told CNN following a production of The Originalist, a play about the late Justice Antonin Scalia.

As evidence of her commitment, the justice has already hired law clerks for at least two more terms.

Ginsburg, who rose to prominence as a women’s rights lawyer in the 1970s, was later nominated to the Supreme Court by President Bill Clinton and confirmed in 1993. She stands as one of the court’s oldest justices as well as one of its most liberal.

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Her decision to remain on the bench comes at an crucial time for the justice system. In the past two years, President Donald Trump has already appointed two Supreme Court Justices. During his campaign, the president promised that he would only nominate conservative judges who were previously vetted with the help of conservative groups like the Federalist Society and Heritage Foundation. He has since stuck to his word, having appointed conservative Neil Gorsuch to replace the late Justice Antonin Scalia and nominating Brett Kavanaugh to replace retiring Justice Anthony Kennedy. Ginsburg’s potential retirement could mean another seat for the president to fill — a decision that would affect the court for decades to come.

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Ginsburg had previously voiced her disdain for the president, most notably during his 2016 campaign when she called him “a faker” with an ego who has “no consistency.” Trump later shot back at the justice, calling on her to resign.

Despite her concerns, Ginsburg ruled out the possibility of placing term limits on judges because to do so would require a constitutional amendment. “We hold our offices during good behavior,” she said, “and most judges are very well behaved.”

She also maintained that she still able to remain “hopeful,” citing her late husband, Marty. “My dear spouse would say that the true symbol of the United States is not the bald eagle — it is the pendulum,” Ginsburg recounted. “And when it goes very far in one direction you can count on its swinging back.”

Article by Cathryn Casatuta