Iconic Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died a week ago, has become the first woman in US history to lie in state at the US Capitol in Washington DC.
Ginsburg, the first Jewish woman to hold a seat at the top US court who long battled pancreatic cancer, died last Friday at the age of 87.
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Makeshift memorials lined the court steps as the lines of those attending Ginsburg's public viewings snaked around the National Mall. Her casket was kept outside the Supreme Court earlier this week to allow for outdoor visitation to pay their respects against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The formal ceremony, in which she lay in state at the US Congress, was by invitation-only, also due to the pandemic. It was attended by senior elected officials.
Dozens, including Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, attended a solemn private ceremony for the Justice hailed as a liberal icon and a trailblazer.
Rabbi Lauren Holtzblatt of Adas Israel Congregation in Washington, DC, eulogized Ginsburg as someone who "changed the course of American law."
The ceremony also saw Ginsburg's trainer, Bryant Johnson, do several push-ups before her casket, with workouts helping the late Justice stay fit and energetic.
Ginsburg's death triggered yet another bitter standoff on the US political scene, with US President Donald Trump vowing to name his nominee to take over as the ninth Justice on Saturday.
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Trump has already nominated two Justices throughout his time in the office, pivoting it to the right, and a third seat could solidify the conservative lead.
The prospect has drawn ire from Democrats, who pledged to use all means possible to prevent a nomination before the results of the Nov. 3 vote are in and a new president is sworn in.
This article was first published by i24NEWS.
