United States President George W. Bush on Monday nominated conservative Judge John Roberts, already his choice for a seat on the US Supreme Court, to replace the late chief justice William Rehnquist.
”I’m confident that the Senate can complete hearings and confirm him as chief justice within a month,” when the court resumes work, Bush said in a hastily called public appearance in the White House Oval Office.
Bush, who had picked Roberts in July to replace justice Sandra Day O’Connor after she announced that she was retiring, said he would announce a new nominee to replace her ”in a timely manner”.
Rehnquist, who served as chief justice for 19 of his 33 years on the Supreme Court, died on Saturday night from thyroid cancer at his home in the Washington suburbs. The court returns to work October 3.
Roberts (50) has spent the past month meeting privately with US Senators, who will be called upon to vote on his confirmation after holding hearings that were scheduled to start on Tuesday.
The nine-seat court wields enormous influence over American life, as the final arbiter of the US Constitution and ultimate court of appeal, and has ruled on volatile issues like abortion, the death penalty, and same-sex marriage.
The chief justice, in turn, sets the tone for the court, moderating private deliberations and the personal interactions and behind-the-scenes deal-making that defines the court’s operations.
His death and O’Connor’s departure have given Bush a change to put a conservative stamp on the court — which is often called on to decide volatile issues like abortion and civil rights — for decades to come.
Opposition Democrats were expected to closely question Roberts, who was once a law clerk to Rehnquist, but some senators said the process should be delayed out of respect for the chief justice.
”I am honoured and humbled by the confidence that the president has shown in me. And I’m very much aware that if I am confirmed, I would succeed a man I deeply respect and admire, a man who has been very kind to me,” said Roberts.
A senior Bush aide said that the White House was less concerned about when the hearings start and more focused on getting Roberts confirmed by the time the court reconvenes.
Roberts was expected to face tough questioning on his positions on issues ranging from abortion to the role of government. – AFP
