This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

The US supreme court issued a statement on Friday to say that its newest judge, Justice Brett Kavanaugh, will not take the traditional walk down the courthouse steps after his ceremonial installation – because of security concerns.

Kavanaugh’s investiture ceremony is scheduled for Thursday morning in the courtroom of the majestic building in Washington.

It is customary for a new justice admitted to the highest court in the land then to walk down the 44 marble steps in front of the building, accompanied by the chief justice. The moment provides a chance for news organizations to photograph the justice, since the courtroom event is closed to cameras.

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But a court spokeswoman, Kathy Arberg, said on Friday that the change was being made “out of an abundance of caution due to security concerns”.

Kavanaugh was confirmed on 6 October by a 50-48 Senate vote following the most acrimonious and divisive confirmation process in a generation.

He was accused of attempted rape by the university professor Dr Christine Blasey Ford when the two were teenagers in high school in Maryland. Kavanaugh denied the accusation, as well as allegations of misconduct made by two other women.

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The revelation from Ford led to a sensational day of public testimony from her and then Kavanaugh before the Senate judiciary committee, which left Capitol Hill and much of the nation both riveted and disturbed.

Beyond the allegations, Kavanaugh’s reputation as an ultra-conservative has generated fear among liberals and moderates that he will opine from the bench against women’s reproductive rights and worker, voter and environmental protections.

The supreme court steps were crowded with protesters for many days last month as the judge’s confirmation remained on a knife edge, exacerbating deep political and cultural divisions, until he survived an 11th-hour investigation by the FBI. The final Senate vote to confirm him was disrupted by hecklers in the public gallery. After he was sworn in later that Saturday evening, demonstrators banged on the huge doors of the court house, at the top of the steps, as the ceremony was taking place.

• This article was amended on 3 November 2018 to replace an incorrectly captioned photograph.