Supreme Court Justice Breyer to officially retire Thursday

WASHINGTON (NewsNation) — Liberal U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer will officially retire on Thursday, paving the way for President Joe Biden’s appointee Ketanji Brown Jackson to be sworn in to the lifetime position to replace him, the court said on Wednesday.

Breyer, 83, has served on the court since 1994 and announced his plans to retire in January. He will retire at noon on Thursday shortly after the court issues the last of its rulings of the current term.

“It has been my great honor to participate as a judge in the effort to maintain our Constitution and the Rule of Law,” Breyer said in a letter to Biden.

Jackson, who was confirmed by the Senate in April, is set to become the first Black woman to serve on the nation’s top judicial body when she is sworn in at noon on Thursday.

She is expected to be sworn in at the Supreme Court. Chief Justice John Roberts will administer the Constitutional Oath and Breyer will administer the Judicial Oath.

Thomson Reuters contributed to this report.