Former Supreme Court Justice David Souter, a Republican appointee who retired from the high court in 2009 after voting consistently with its liberal wing, has died, the Supreme Court announced on Friday.

Retired Supreme Court Justice David Souter was a steady member of the high court's liberal wing during his tenure despite being appointed by a Republican president.

Retiring at just 69 after two decades on the Supreme Court, the justice left a legacy of case-by-case judging, intellectual rigor and a complete lack of pretension.