Old Boys Club

Dahlia Lithwick's account of Safford Unified School District v. Redding is a sidesplitter. That is until you realize the Supreme Court has gotten riding roughshod over constitutional rights down to a science.

A more obvious blogger might reflect on the right to privacy or the rights of young people. But this blogger is going to point out that the reason the Court has taken this "What's the big deal for girls to strip?" attitude is because, well, the Court is basically devoid of women. Ruth Bader Ginsburg is currently the only female Justice on the bench, a low from the days when there used to be two female Justices.

The US is not alone in its lack of female presence among its higher courts. Gender discrepancy in the judicary appears to be the norm for most of the G20. Argentina's Supreme Court only has two female Justices out of seven, Brazil has two of eleven, and South Africa three of eleven. Canada ruins the curve by almost giving female justices a majority with a whopping four out of nine and a female Chief Justice for good measure.


(Hat tip to Wronging Rights)