US Chief Justice ill

US Chief Justice William Rehnquist, the leader of the Supreme Court's conservative majority, has undergone surgery for thyroid cancer, a court spokeswoman said yesterday.

His illness, disclosed just eight days before the presidential election, threw a focus on the issue of possible replacements for aging judges on the nine-member court, some of whom are expected to retire during the next presidency.

Mr Rehnquist, 80, one of the nation's most powerful and conservative jurists who has been on the court for more than 30 years, was admitted to Bethesda Naval Hospital on Friday and underwent a tracheotomy on Saturday, spokeswoman Kathy Arberg said.

She said in a statement that Mr Rehnquist was expected to be on the bench when the high court reconvenes on Monday after a two-week recess. He is expected to be released from hospital this week, she said.

Supreme Court justices serve until they die or retire. The last change in the court's composition took place more than ten years ago, the longest period of stability since 1823.

The current court is generally split by a 5-4 vote along conservative and liberal lines.

In the last US presidential election, the Supreme Court by a 5-4 vote with Mr Rehnquist in the majority halted a recount in the disputed Florida race, making President George W. Bush the winner over Democrat Al Gore.

The day after the historic ruling, Mr Rehnquist maintained that politics played no role in the court's decision-making.