Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg being treated for cancer

US Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg had surgery on Thursday for pancreatic cancer, sparking talks that President Obama may have his first shot at appointing a new Justice.

75 year old Ginsburg was operated on for “apparently early-stage” pancreatic cancer at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City.

Ginsburg was appointed to the court in 1993 by President Bill Clinton, and was only the second woman member of the court in its history.

Ginsburg will remain in hospital for around 7 to 10 days, and doctors are confident that the surgery will be successful.

Justice Ginsburg is a staunch liberal, and her loss would not change the balance of the court, presuming (rightly) that President Obama wouldn’t appoint a conservative to replace her.