U.S. Supreme Court nominee Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson testifies during her confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill.Photo: Getty Images North America
There were two pre qualifiers to be President Joe Biden's first Supreme Court nominee. You had to be black and you had to be a woman.
Once it became clear that Biden was getting a pick, he confirmed what he'd said on the campaign trail - he would indeed choose "the first black woman ever nominated to the United States Supreme Court".
So as being a woman is one of the two qualifiers for her being there at all, you would expect Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to be able to define what a woman is, right?
Well you'd be wrong.
For those of you who can't see the video, the exchange went like this. First up is Senator Marsha Blackburn.
"Do you agree with Justice Ginsburg that there are physical differences between men and women that are enduring?" the senator asked.
"Um, senator, respectfully I am not familiar with that particular quote or case, so it's hard for me to comment," the judge responded.
"Do you interpret Justice Ginsburg's meaning of men and women as male and female?"
The Judge did not reply.
"Can you provide a definition for the word ‘woman?’" the senator asked.
"Can I provide a definition? No, I can't."
"You can't?"
"Not in this context, I'm not a biologist."
"Do you believe the meaning of the word woman is so unclear and controversial that you can't give me a definition?"
"Senator, in my work as a judge, what I do is I address disputes. If there's a dispute about a definition, people make arguments, and I look at the law, and I decide," Jackson said.
Interesting to say the least! So does being unable to define what a woman is disqualify you from being on the SCOTUS?
Take part in today's Poll...
Our polls are not scientific and are for entertainment