Who was David Souter? Former US Supreme Court Justice dead at 85

Time of India

09-05-2025

Former US Supreme Court Justice
David Souter
has died "peacefully" at his home in New Hampshire at the age of 85. In 1990, Justice Souter came into the spotlight after President George HW Bush appointed him to the court. He eventually stepped down in 2009 after completing more than 19 years in the service.
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The retired Associate Justice breathed his last on Thursday (May 8), according to a statement by the US Supreme Court, issued on Friday morning. However, the cause of death was not mentioned in the official release.
Who was Justice David H. Souter?
Born on September 17, 1939, he belonged to the Melrose town in Massachusetts. Souter was a Harvard Law School graduate, besides studying at the prestigious Oxford University as well. The Rhodes scholar completed his graduation in 1966 and then shifted back to New Hampshire's Concord. Thereafter, he did his law practice at the Orr and Reno firm until 1968.
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He was named the region's Deputy Attorney General in 1971. Few years later, he was appointed as New Hampshire's Attorney General, in 1976. With time, Souter's rank continued to rise. Some of the other positions he held were Associate Justice of the Superior Court as well as the Associate Justice of the state's Supreme Court (1983).
David Souter appointed to Supreme Court by the then-President
In 1990, then US President George H.W. Bush chose Justice Souter when William Brennan announced his retirement from the top judicial body, according to Reuters.
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Back then, not much was known about his personal views on several key issues, especially abortion rights. While "the litmus test approach" was not applied, Bush had praised him as a "remarkable judge of keen intellect".
Dubbed a "stealth nominee" at his Senate confirmation hearings, Souter later became a favourite for the American liberals. He is said to have left several conservatives disappointed when he backed the abortion rights in a major ruling in 1992.
The right to abortion got reaffirmed through the decision under the 1973 Roe vs Wade. The conservatives were unhappy as they hoped the panel would overturn the earlier order. But, they instead ended up setting new standard barring regulations. This imposed "undue burden" on the ability of a woman to obtain the procedure, according to Reuters.
During his time in the court, he also joined the liberal justices in dissent over the high-profile Bush vs Gore matter. The 5-4 verdict ended the dispute over recount of Florida ballots. Post this, Republican George W. Bush was announced the winner for US presidential polls in 2000.
Souter never got married during his entire life. He announced his retirement at the age of 69. His exit was during the US Supreme Court's 2008-2009 term. This led to a vacancy at the court during President Barack Obama's early days in the White House.
FAQs:
1. Who was appointed after David Souter's retirement from the US Supreme Court?
President Barack Obama had nominated Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the seat.
2. When did David Souter get appointed to the US Supreme Court?
He was named as the Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit in May 1990.