Washington: The US Supreme Court resumed public hearings Monday for the first time since the sudden death of conservative justice Antonin Scalia, which left the court evenly divided.
Scalia's chair was vacant, draped with black wool crepe in keeping with a tradition dating back to 1873, as the remaining eight justices took their seats.
Chief Justice John Roberts gave a moving tribute to "our man for all seasons."
"We shall miss him immeasurably," Roberts said.
"He authored 292 majority opinions on the court. He was also known on occasion to dissent."
Scalia's death on February 15 at age 79 abruptly ended the conservative 5-4 advantage on the high court, giving President Barack Obama an opportunity to tilt it in a more liberal direction.
Republicans in both houses of Congress, however, have vowed to block any nomination that Obama makes to fill the vacant seat on the court.
Appointed by president Ronald Reagan in 1986, Scalia was a towering figure in conservative legal thought, an "originalist" who believed the US Constitution's meaning was fixed in its 18th century origins.
His funeral took place Saturday, with Obama noticeably absent, though he did pay his respects the day before while Scalia's body lay in repose in the Great Hall of the Supreme Court.
Scalia was a passionate defender of the death penalty and the right to bear arms, and a staunch opponent of abortion rights, gay rights and affirmative action to favor minority groups that have historically faced discrimination.
The court is now evenly divided between four justices appointed by Democratic presidents and four appointed by Republicans. If the court is split 4-4 on a case, the lower court's ruling will stand.
AFP
