Justice Harry A. Blackmun was appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court by President Richard Nixon in 1970, and over the course of his nearly 25-year tenure, he became one of the most significant figures in the Court’s history. Blackmun’s judicial philosophy evolved considerably throughout his time on the bench, and he ultimately became known as one of the more liberal members of the Court by the end of his career.
One of Blackmun’s most defining moments came with his opinion in Roe v. Wade (1973), the landmark case in which the Court recognized a woman’s constitutional right to choose an abortion. Initially appointed as a conservative justice, Blackmun’s role in writing the majority opinion in Roe marked a dramatic shift in his judicial outlook. Over time, he became a staunch advocate for women’s rights and reproductive freedom, though he continued to express reservations about the Court’s involvement in such deeply divisive social issues.
In addition to his work on reproductive rights, Blackmun made significant contributions to civil liberties, particularly in the areas of death penalty law and civil rights. He became a strong opponent of the death penalty, dissenting in cases such as Baze v. Rees (2008), where the Court upheld the use of lethal injection as a method of execution. His dissent in Baze expressed concern about the irreversible nature of the death penalty and the risk of executing innocent individuals.
Blackmun also championed the rights of individuals facing discrimination, particularly in cases involving gender and race. In United States v. Virginia (1996), he joined the majority in striking down the Virginia Military Institute’s male-only admissions policy, asserting that the exclusion of women violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Constitution.
Justice Blackmun’s transformation from a conservative appointee to one of the Court’s most liberal members was a testament to his intellectual honesty and commitment to justice. His legacy as a defender of individual rights, particularly reproductive rights, remains influential to this day.
