Loretta Lynch sworn in as US' first black female attorney general

After a months-long delay, Loretta Lynch has been sworn in as the first black female Attorney General of the United States. Lynch is known for her work on high-profile anti-terror cases.

Deutsche Welle, 27 April 2015

Loretta Lynch was sworn in as the US' 83rd attorney general on Monday, becoming the first black woman to hold the country's highest law enforcement position.

US President Barack Obama tweeted his congratulations:

Congratulations to Loretta Lynch, who was sworn in as U.S. attorney general today, the first African-American woman to hold the post.
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) 27 april 2015

"It's about time this woman's being sworn in," Vice-President Joe Biden said in the swearing-in ceremony, referring to the long delay in the Senate for confirming Lynch's nomination to the post. The vote finally came through last Thursday, with her replacing former attorney general Eric Holder.

“It’s about time this woman is being sworn in.” —@VP Biden on our next Attorney General, Loretta Lynch: http://t.co/P8raHgemIf
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) 27 april 2015

The lawyer said she was "honored beyond words" to take over the attorney general's job. She vowed "to not just represent the law and enforce the law, but to use it to make real the promise of America - the promise of fairness, the promise of equality, of liberty and justice for all."

Referring to the recent cases of alleged police atrocities against minorities, Lynch said she was confident about restoring "trust and faith in both our laws and those who enforce them."

"She's shown resolve to prosecute and jail terrorists, mobsters and gang members. She's shown fidelity to the law and rooted out public corruption and shown determination to bring down financial fraudsters and child abusers," Biden said.

“I have absolute confidence that Loretta Lynch will exceed the high standards set for her.” -VP Biden on Loretta Lynch
— Vice President Biden (@VP) 27 april 2015

Lynch, who has served twice as US attorney for New York's Eastern District, has a history of successfully prosecuting terrorists who plotted to bomb the New York subway and the Federal Reserve Bank. The 55-year-old Harvard graduate is the daughter of a librarian mother, while her father is a minister in North Carolina.

mg/bw (AFP, AP)