Rule 16-110 - Judicial Council(a) Existence. There is a Judicial Council.(b) Membership; Chair. The Judicial Council consists of:(1) the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, who is the Chair of the Judicial Council;(2) the Chief Judge of the Appellate Court;(3) the Chair and Vice Chair of the Conference of Circuit Judges;(4) the Chief Judge of the District Court;(5) the State Court Administrator;(6) the Chair and Vice Chair of the Conference of Circuit Court Clerks;(7) the Chair and Vice Chair of the Conference of Circuit Court Administrators;(8) the Chair of the Supreme Court Standing Committee on Rules of Practice and Procedure;(9) the Chief Clerk of the District Court; and(10) the Chair of the Senior Judges Committee; and(11) three circuit court judges, three District Court judges, and two District Administrative Clerks appointed by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.Committee note: The Conference of Circuit Court Clerks and the Conference of Circuit Court Administrators are created and exist only by Administrative Order of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. The inclusion of their Chairs or Vice Chairs on the Judicial Council is not intended to affect the authority of the Chief Justice to alter or revoke those Administrative Orders.
(c) Terms of Appointed Members; Vacancies.(1) The term of each member appointed by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court is two years, subject to reappointment for one additional term of two years.(2) If a vacancy occurs because an appointed member dies, resigns, or leaves the judicial office or office as an administrative clerk that the member occupied when appointed to the Judicial Council, the Chief Justice may appoint a successor to serve for the balance of the unexpired term.(d) Duties; Authority.(1) The Judicial Council serves as the principal advisory body to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court with respect to the exercise of the Chief Justice's authority as the administrative head of the State judicial system.Cross reference: See Article IV, § 18 of the Maryland Constitution.
(2) The Chief Justice, as Chair of the Judicial Council, may create committees, subcommittees, and work groups: (A) to consider matters relevant to the functioning and improvement of the Maryland Judiciary and the administration of justice in the State; and(B) to make appropriate recommendations to the Judicial Council.(3) The Chair of the Judicial Council shall make an annual report.(e) Secretary. The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court shall designate an individual to serve as Secretary to the Judicial Council.(f) Meetings.(1) The Judicial Council shall meet on the call of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.(2) Unless impracticable due to exigent circumstances, the Secretary to the Judicial Council shall cause notice of all meetings of the Council to be posted on the Judiciary's website, and, subject to reasonable space limitations, all such meetings shall be open to the public. Minutes shall be kept of all meetings and posted on the Judiciary website. This Rule is derived from former Rule 16-802(2016).
Adopted June 6, 2016, eff. 7/1/2016; 6/20/2017, eff. 8/1/2017; amended April 21, 2023, eff. 4/1/2023.HISTORICAL NOTES
2017 Orders
The June 20, 2017 order, substituted the word "senior for the word "retired and recalled in the name of a certain Committee and deleted a reference to that Committee from a Committee note.