US Supreme Court Justice Kennedy announces retirement

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Europe

02:17

US Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy, the court's currently longest-serving member and second-oldest justice, announced on Wednesday that he is retiring.

The justice's decision, to be effective on July 31, gives President Donald Trump the second chance to nominate a justice.

"It has been the greatest honor and privilege to serve our nation in the federal judiciary for 43 years, 30 of those on the Supreme Court," Kennedy, who turns 82 in July, said in a statement.

In this file photo taken on June 1, 2017 Justices of the US Supreme Court sit for their official group photo at the Supreme Court in Washington, DC. /VCG Photo

Nominated by Republican President Ronald Reagan and confirmed in 1988, Kennedy is widely thought to be a moderate and pivotal swing vote on the court. He sided with liberals to advance gay rights, save ObamaCare and limit the death penalty, while voting with the conservative wing to protect religious liberty and limit campaign finance laws.

Kennedy's departure will give Trump the opportunity to appoint his second justice to the nine-seat bench, which exerts a deep and far-reaching influence on American life.

Paying tribute to Kennedy as "a great justice of the Supreme Court," Trump told reporters the replacement process will "begin immediately."

"Hopefully we will pick someone who is just as outstanding," he told reporters in the Oval Office.

He said Kennedy's successor, who like all Supreme Court justices will be appointed for life, would be selected from among a list of 25 possible candidates, 20 identified during his presidential campaign, and five added since.

"We have a very excellent list of great, talented, highly intelligent, hopefully tremendous people," he said.

Furthermore, of the court's four liberals, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is 85 and Justice Stephen Breyer turns 80 this summer, meaning Trump could have the chance to fill more openings.

Republicans changed Senate rules last year to get Trump's conservative nominee, Neil Gorsuch, confirmed, lowering the threshold to advance Supreme Court nominations to a simple majority vote.

Supreme Court vacancies have become a key voting issue in the US presidential elections. In a CNN exit poll, 70 percent of 2016 American voters said the Supreme Court was an important factor in their vote.

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Source(s): AFP ,Xinhua News Agency