Washington - Justice David Souter, a member of the US Supreme Court since 1990, is reportedly planning to announce his retirement, the Washington Post reported early Friday on its website.

   Appointed by former president George Bush, a member of the conservative Republican Party, Souter is generally considered part of the court's left-liberal wing, disappointing Republican activists.

   The 69-year-old from New Hampshire's departure would create an opening for President Barack Obama, a member of the centre-left Democratic Party, to make his first appointment to the Supreme Court since taking office in January.

   If confirmed by the US Senate, where Democrats hold a wide majority, a successor to Souter would likely not sharply change the ideological balance on the court but would install a younger, left- leaning judge with a lifetime appointment.