Obama names Merrick Garland as Supreme Court nominee

Washington

PRESIDENT Barack Obama on Wednesday nominated Merrick Garland, a centrist judge, to fill the Supreme Court seat left vacant by the death of justice Antonin Scalia. Mr Obama formally announced his intent to nominate the 63-year-old appeals court judge in a ceremony at the White House's Rose Garden.

The nomination sets the stage for an election-year showdown with Republicans who have made it clear they have no intention of holding hearings to vet any Supreme Court nominee put forward by the president. Republicans insist that with less than a year remaining in office, the nomination should be made by his successor in the White House.