Former US Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens dies at 99

WASHINGTON - John Paul Stevens, US Supreme Court Justice from 1975 to 2010, died Tuesday at the age of 99, according to the US Supreme Court.

"Stevens died this evening at Holy Cross Hospital in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, of complications following a stroke he suffered on July 15," the court said in a statement.

Chief Justice John Roberts said Stevens "brought to our bench an inimitable blend of kindness, humility, wisdom, and independence".

"His unrelenting commitment to justice has left us a better nation," Roberts said.

Stevens was born in Chicago in 1920, and served in the US Navy from 1941 to 1945. He served as a judge of the US court of appeals for the seventh circuit from 1970 to 1975.

Despite having been nominated by former Republican President Gerald Ford, Stevens was credited as a prominent liberal voice in the Supreme Court, as he acted to limit the death penalty, establish gay rights, promote racial equality and protect legal abortion.