Senator who played Good Friday Agreement role tipped for US Supreme Court

A former US senator who played a key role in negotiating the Good Friday Agreement could be appointed to replace Justice Antonin Scalia in the US Supreme Court.

Senator George Mitchell, who also served as chancellor of Queen’s University Belfast (QUB) between 1999-09, has been tipped for the seat left vacant by Justice Scalia’s recent death, the Belfast Telegraph reports.

However, 82-year-old Senator Mitchell told MSNBC broadcaster Lawrence O’Donnell that he was “too old for it now”.

Another frontrunner in the race to replace Scalia is Indian-born Judge Srikanth Srinivasan, who currently serves on the federal Court of Appeal bench for the District of Columbia Circuit.

Srinivasan has been reported as President Obama’s favourite choice for the role, but senior Republicans continue to insist the President’s successor should make the appointment.

Scott Lucas, professor of American studies at the University of Birmingham, told Irish Legal News: “For social as well as political and legal reasons, Srinivasan’s nomination makes sense. He is already on the US Court of Appeals, a ‘training ground’ for potential Justices.

“Socially, Srinivasan would break new ground as the first Asian-American on the Court, following President Obama’s appointment of the first Hispanic-American, Sonia Sotomayor.

“However, all of this is the context of bitter politics. In a US which is already polarized, conservatives are trying to prevent Obama making a nomination, let alone letting through a nominee without a protracted fight.

“Srinavasan’s legal qualifications and the social signal of his appointment will be hostage to election-year grandstanding, especially by the Republicans.”