WASHINGTON –US President Joe Biden will announce his intention to nominate Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court,  White House announced.

If the Senate confirms Jackson's nomination, she will become the first African American woman to serve on the country's highest court. She currently serves on the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

The announcement comes over a month after Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, a long-serving liberal, announced that he will step down this summer after nearly three decades on the bench. According to reports, Jackson clerked for Breyer in the 1999-2000 term.

Biden "conducted a thorough process" to choose Breyer's replacement, according to the White House, and "sought an individual who is devoted to equal justice under the law and appreciates the significant impact that the Supreme Court's decisions have on the lives of the American people." "Judge Jackson is an exceedingly qualified nominee" as well as a historic nomination, the statement said.

"With a fair and timely hearing and confirmation, the Senate should go forward." On Friday afternoon, the US President will make remarks at the White House to announce the nominee. During his presidential campaign in 2020, Biden stated that if given the opportunity, he would nominate an African American woman to the Supreme Court.

After Breyer announced his retirement, the Democrat reaffirmed his commitment, but several Republicans on Capitol Hill have argued that the pick should be based on merit rather than colour or gender.

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