CHAPTER 265
FORMERLY
HOUSE BILL NO. 19
AN ACT TO AMEND ARTICLE 4, SECTIONS 12, 13 AND 38 OF THE CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE TO HARMONIZE THOSE SECTIONS REGARDING THE AUTHORITY OF A JUSTICE UNDER SECTIONS 12, 13 AND 38 TO DESIGNATE STATE JUDGES TO SIT IN VARIOUS COURTS OF THE STATE OR TO DESIGNATE RETIRED STATE JUDGES OR JUSTICES TO TEMPORARILY PERFORM JUDICIAL SERVICE IN THE ABSENCE, DISQUALIFICATION OR INCAPACITY OF THE CHIEF JUSTICE OR A VACANCY IN THAT OFFICE, AND TO HARMONIZE SECTION 13 WITH SECTIONS 2, 3 AND 12 TO MAKE UNIFORM THE REFERENCES THEREIN TO MEMBERS OF THE SUPREME COURT, TO ELIMINATE OBSOLETE REFERENCES IN SECTION 13 TO THE ORPHANS' COURT, WHICH NO LONGER EXISTS, AND TO PROVIDE FOR THE DESIGNATION OF A STATE JUDGE FROM VARIOUS COURTS OF THE STATE TO SIT IN THE COURT OF CHANCERY AND SUPERIOR COURT TO TEMPORARILY PERFORM JUDICIAL SERVICE.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE (Two-thirds of all members elected to each House thereof concurring therein):
Section 1. Article 4, Section 12 of the Constitution of the State of
Delaware of 1897, as amended, is amended to read as follows:
"Section 12. A quorum of the Supreme Court shall consist of not less than three Justices. The entire Court shall sit in any criminal case in which the accused has been sentenced to death and in such other civil and criminal cases as the Court, by rule, or the General Assembly, upon the concurrence of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, shall determine. In case of a lack of quorum by reason of vacancies in their number, incapacity, or disqualification to sit by reason of interest, or to constitute a three-member panel of the Court, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, or in case of his absence from the State, disqualification, incapacity, or if there be a vacancy in that office, the next qualified and available Justice, who by seniority is next in rank to the Chief Justice, shall have the power to designate judges from among the judges of the constitutional courts to sit in the Supreme Court temporarily to satisfy the number of Justices required by law. It shall be the duty of the judges of the constitutional courts so designated to sit accordingly. No judge shall be so designated to sit in the Supreme Court in any cause in which he sat below. Any one of the Justices of the Supreme Court may open and adjourn court."
Section 2. Article 4, Section 13 of the Constitution of the State of
Delaware of 1897, as amended, is amended to read as follows:
"Section 13. The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, or in case of his absence from the State, disqualification, incapacity, or if there be a vacancy in that office, the next qualified and available Justice who by seniority is next in rank to the Chief Justice shall be administrative head of all the courts in the State, and shall have general administrative and supervisory powers over all the courts. Such powers shall include but shall not be limited to the following:
Upon the approval of a majority of the Justices of the
Supreme Court to adopt rules for the administration of justice and the conduct of the business of any or all the courts in this State: Provided, however, that any other of the courts in this State may from time to time, subject to the exercise of the power in this paragraph (1) conferred upon the Justices of the Supreme Court, adopt rules of pleading practice and procedure applicable to such Court.
Upon written request made by the Chancellor, or in his
absence or incapacity by the next qualified and available Vice-Chancellor who by seniority is next in rank to the Chancellor, or upon the written request made by the President Judge of the Superior Court, or in his absence or incapacity by the next qualified and available Associate Judge who by seniority is next in rank to the President Judge, to designate one or more of the State Judges (including the Justices of the Supreme Court) to sit in the Court of Chancery or the Superior Court, as the case may be, and to hear and
decide such causes in such Court and for such period of time as shall be designated. It shall be the duty of the State Judge so designated to serve according to such designation as a Judge of the Court designated. The provisions of this paragraph shall not be deemed to limit in any manner the powers conferred upon the judges of the Superior Court under Section 14 of this Article."
Section 3. Article 4, Section 38 of the Constitution of the State of Delaware of 1897, as amended, is amended to read as follows:
"Section 38. A former State Judge or a former Justice of the Supreme Court, who is retired and is receiving a state judicial pension and who assents to active judicial duty and who is not engaged in the practice of law, upon designation of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, or in case of his absence from the State, disqualification, incapacity, or if there be a vacancy in that office, upon designation of the next qualified and available Justice, who by seniority is next in rank to the Chief Justice, shall be authorized to sit temporarily in the court from which he retired or in any other court to which he could be designated under the Constitution and statutes of the State if he still held the judicial position from which he retired. Any person so designated shall receive compensation as the General Assembly shall provide. Nothing herein shall authorize the designation of any former State Judge or a former Justice of the Supreme Court to sit in the Supreme Court except temporarily to fill up the number of that Court to the required quorum. The term "State Judge" as used in this section means a Chancellor or Vice—Chancellor of the Chancery Court or a President Judge or Associate Judge of the Superior Court.
Approved June 11, 1992.