美國新任最高法院大法官承諾“獨立和公正”

The newest member of the United States Supreme Court, Brett Kavanaugh, after a bruising confirmation process in the Senate that bitterly divided the nation, is vowing to hear every case with respect and an open mind.

"Every American can be assured that I will be an independent and impartial justice," Kavanaugh said in the White House East Room after a ceremonial swearing-in ahead of his first day on the bench Tuesday.

The other eight members of the highest court, a number of Republican senators crucial to the confirmation process and President Donald Trump watched Monday as retired Justice Anthony Kennedy administered the judicial oath to Kavanaugh.

"The Senate confirmation process was contentious and emotional. That is now over," declared Kavanaugh.

Kavanaugh added that the Supreme Court "is not a partisan or political institution," promising to "always be a team player on a team of nine."

Kavanaugh also announced that all four of his law clerks will be women — "a first in the history of the Supreme Court."

Minutes earlier, Trump alluded to the fierce Democratic Party opposition to the federal circuit court judge he had nominated to the bench who was accused of sexual misconduct in his youth.

The allegation by Christine Blasey Ford, now a university professor in California, nearly derailed Kavanaugh's confirmation. Kavanaugh denied the accusation.

"On behalf of our nation, I want to apologize to Brett and the entire Kavanaugh family for the terrible pain and suffering you have been forced to endure," Trump said. "You, sir, under historic scrutiny, were proven innocent."

Kavanaugh was officially sworn in Saturday, just after the Senate narrowly confirmed him by a vote of 50-48, to the lifetime seat on the country's highest court.美國最高法院的最新成員卡瓦諾在參議院備受傷害的確認過程讓美國社會痛苦分裂，卡瓦諾誓言要以尊重和開放的心態聽取每一個案件。

卡瓦諾在週二正式上任大法官前在白宮東廳參加了就職儀式，他說：“每個美國人都可以放心，我將成爲一個獨立和公正的大法官。”

最高法院的其他八名大法官，以及在卡瓦諾確認過程至關重要的一些共和黨參議員和特朗普總統週一見證了退休大法官安東尼-肯尼迪主持的卡瓦諾的司法宣誓。

卡瓦諾說，“參議院的確認過程充滿了爭議和激動的情緒，現在這些都結束了。”

他補充說，最高法院“不是一個黨派或政治機構”，並承諾他將在“一個9人團隊永遠是一名團隊成員”。

卡瓦諾還宣佈，他的所有四名法律助理都將是女性，“這是最高法院有史以來的第一次”。

稍早時，特朗普總統暗示了民主黨人對他提名這位聯邦巡迴法院法官做出激烈反對。卡瓦諾被控在青少年時性行爲不端。

現在在加利福尼亞州一所大學擔任教授的克里斯蒂娜·布拉西·福特對卡瓦諾的指控幾乎斷送卡瓦諾的提名確認。卡瓦諾否認了這一指控。

特朗普說：“我代表我們的國家，向佈雷特和卡瓦諾一家所遭受的可怕痛苦和遭遇道歉。”他說， “你，先生，在歷史性的審查下，被證明是無辜的。”

卡瓦諾在星期六參議院以50-48的投票結果確認他的提名之後正式宣誓就任，成爲美國最高法院的終身大法官。