Attorney Peter Timothy Cahill has been appointed to fill a vacancy on the 2nd Circuit Court in Maui, the Judicial Selection Commission announced Thursday.

The appointment is subject to Senate approval.

Cahill was among five candidates sent to Gov. Neil Abercrombie for consideration and was nominated by the governor to fill the vacancy. But the nomination was determined to be invalid because Abercrombie missed a 30-day deadline by which to make the nomination.

Abercrombie received the Commission’s list of candidates on May 11 and announced the appointment on Tuesday, two days after the deadline.

Under the state constitution, because the governor failed to make the appointment within the constitutionally mandated period, the Judicial Selection Commission makes the appointment with the consent of the state Senate. 

Other finalists were Maui District Court Judge Kelsey Kawano, and Maui attorneys and per diem judges Michelle Drewyer, Lloyd Poelman and Douglas Sameshima.