TP O'Mahony: RBG was a giant of the American legal system

Ruth Bader Ginsburg was instrumental in shaping US law and that influence was felt all over the world. She leaves an important legacy and the battle to replace her will be a 'dramatic showdown', with long-lasting effects, writes TP O'Mahony.

In this April 6, 2018, file photo, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg applauds after a performance in her honour after she spoke about her life and work during a discussion at Georgetown Law School in Washington. The Supreme Court says Ginsburg has died of metastatic pancreatic cancer at age 87. Picture: Alex Brandon

The liberal US tradition of using the law and the courts to uphold and expand personal rights - of which Ruth Bader Ginsburg was an outstanding champion - had a significant influence on Irish jurisprudence as well, especially since the 1970s.

It is doubtful if the Irish Supreme Court would have ruled as it did in 1992 in the X Case if the US Supreme Court hadn’t already legalised a right to abortion in the famous Roe v Wade case of 1973.