US President Donald Trump has nominated Amy Coney Barrett, a favourite of social conservatives, to be the new Supreme Court justice. Speaking by her side at the White House Rose Garden, Mr Trump described her as a 'woman of unparalleled achievement'.
If confirmed by senators, Judge Barrett will replace liberal Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg who died recently, aged 87. The nomination will spark a bitter confirmation fight in the Senate as November's presidential election looms.
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden urged the Senate not to act on this vacancy until after the American people select their next president and the next Congress. If Judge Barrett is confirmed, conservative-leaning justices will hold a 6-3 majority on the Supreme Court for the foreseeable future.
The 48-year-old would be the third justice appointed by the current Republican president, after Neil Gorsuch in 2017 and Brett Kavanaugh in 2018. The court's nine justices serve lifetime appointments, and their rulings can shape public policy on everything from gun and voting rights to abortion and campaign finance for decades.
Judge Barrett has ruled in favour of President Trump's hardline immigration policies and expressed views in favour of expansive gun rights. Conservatives hope she will rule against the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, which provides health coverage for some 20 million Americans.
