Massachusetts Statutes

Section 9. The records and rescripts which are made after the decision of questions of law shall contain a brief statement of the reasons therefor; and if no further opinion is written within sixty days, the reporter shall publish the case with the opinion contained in such recor…

Section 1. There shall be an intermediate appellate court to be known as the appeals court. The appeals court shall consist of a chief justice and twenty-four associate justices.

Section 10. Subject to such further appellate review by the supreme judicial court as may be permitted pursuant to section eleven or otherwise, the appeals court shall have concurrent appellate jurisdiction with the supreme judicial court, to the extent review is otherwise allowa…

Section 11. There shall be no further appellate review by the supreme judicial court of any matter within the jurisdiction of the appeals court which has been decided by that court, except:—(a) where a majority of the justices of the appeals court deciding the case, or of the app…

Section 12. The appeals court may, prior to or after final determination, report any case in whole or in part or any question of law arising therein to the supreme judicial court for consideration and determination if in the opinion of the appeals court the unusual public or lega…

Section 13. The law governing the presentation of cases to the supreme judicial court for appellate review, except as to the printing of records and briefs, shall apply to the presentation to the appeals court of cases within the concurrent jurisdiction of that court. The appeals…

Section 14. In the case of a vacancy in the office of chief justice of the appeals court, or of his illness or absence, his duties shall be performed by the senior justice.

Section 15. If, upon the hearing of an appeal or exceptions in any proceeding, it appears that the appeal or exceptions are frivolous, immaterial or intended for delay, the appeals court may, either upon motion of a party or on its own motion, award against the appellant or excep…

Section 16. (a) A retired chief justice or associate justice of the appeals court whose name has been placed on the list of retired justices pursuant to section sixty-five F of chapter thirty-two may be designated and assigned by the chief justice of the appeals court to perform,…

Section 17. The chief justice of the appeals court may, subject to the approval of the chief justice of the supreme judicial court, grant a leave of absence for study, research, teaching, or such other reason as said chief justice of the appeals court deems appropriate to the imp…

Section 2. The chief justice shall receive a salary of $219,856 and each associate justice shall receive a salary of $213,924 and the chief justice and each associate justice shall annually receive from the commonwealth upon the certificate of the chief justice the amount of expe…

Section 3. Three justices shall constitute a quorum to decide all matters required to be heard by the appeals court or, upon order of the chief justice, four or more justices may sit. The court may sit in panels of three or more justices. The chief justice, insofar as practicable…

Section 4. The appeals court shall sit in the city of Boston and at such other locations within the commonwealth as the supreme judicial court shall determine by rule or order. The commonwealth shall provide adequate quarters and facilities for the appeals court. The chief justic…

Section 5. The appeals court shall be vested with all powers and authority necessary to carry into execution its judgments, decrees, determinations and orders in matters within its jurisdiction according to the rules and principles of common law and the Constitution and laws of t…

Section 6. The justices of the appeals court shall appoint the clerk of the appeals court for a term of five years from the date of his appointment, and may remove him. Said justices may appoint a first assistant clerk and 4 assistant clerks of said court for terms of three years…

Section 7. The chief justice shall annually prepare and submit to the chief justice of the supreme judicial court an estimate, in detail, for the ordinary maintenance of the court, and all revenue therefrom as provided in clause (5) of the first paragraph of section three of chap…

Section 8. The clerk shall serve as the administrative officer of the court and shall maintain an office in Boston and at such other place or places as the supreme judicial court may designate. The cost of maintaining such office or offices shall be borne by the commonwealth. The…

Section 9. In the determination of causes, all decisions of the appeals court shall be given in writing, except as otherwise provided herein, and the grounds for each decision shall be stated and filed in the cause in which rendered. The court may, in appropriate cases, enter a p…

Section 1. There shall be a trial court of the commonwealth which shall consist of the following departments: the superior court department, the housing court department, the land court department, the probate and family court department, the Boston municipal court department, th…

Section 10. Subject to the superintendence authority of the supreme judicial court as provided in section 3 of chapter 211, the chief justice and the deputy court administrator shall be responsible for the operation of their department, its clerks, other officers and employees su…

Section 10A. A first justice, in addition to his judicial powers and duties as a justice of the trial court and in addition to his general powers of superintendence as first justice of a particular court within the trial court, shall, subject to the superintendence authority of t…

Section 10B. (a) The exclusive authority to select and appoint assistant clerks in the district court, juvenile court, housing court and Boston municipal court shall be vested in the clerks of said courts and such authority shall not be subject to the review or approval of any ot…

Section 10C. The general superintendence and administrative authority of the chief justice of the trial court, court administrator, and the chief justices of the respective departments of the trial court and the first justices of particular courts shall not include the authority …

Section 10D. (a) Each applicant for initial appointment as a court officer within the trial court shall pass a written examination established and administered by the court administrator, after consultation with the personnel administrator, who shall determine the form, method an…

Section 12. There shall be an office of court management within the trial court, under the executive control of a court administrator, to support judicial functions, performance and management of the trial court. Said court administrator shall be appointed by a majority vote of t…

Section 13. The first justice of each division or court within the superior, probate and family, land, housing, juvenile, Boston municipal and district court departments of the trial court of the commonwealth, or if there is no first justice the chief justice, shall periodically …

Section 14. (a) A retired justice of the trial court whose name has been placed on the list of retired justices pursuant to section sixty-five G of chapter thirty-two may be assigned by the chief justice for administration and management to perform, during his term of eligibility…

Section 16. The chief justice for administration and management shall establish a judicial institute, to provide for the training of the judicial and nonjudicial personnel of the trial court, the appeals court and the supreme judicial court. Said institute shall perform and conti…

Section 17. The court administrator, in consultation with the chief justice of the trial court shall have charge of the daily care, operation and routine maintenance of court facilities owned by the commonwealth, and of long-range planning and capital budget requests for such cou…

Section 19. The chief justice of the trial court may establish and promulgate rules for a mandatory alternative dispute resolution program for civil actions within the trial court subject to the approval of the supreme judicial court, subject to appropriation; provided, however, …

Section 2. There shall be 82 justices appointed to the superior court department, 15 justices appointed to the housing court department, 7 justices appointed to the land court department, 59 justices appointed to the probate and family court department, 30 justices appointed to t…

Section 20. A chief justice of the trial court may, subject to the approval of the chief justice of the trial court, grant a leave of absence for study, research, teaching, or such other reason as said chief justice deems appropriate to the improved administration of justice, to …

Section 21. Whenever a department established under this chapter is required to publish a notice in a newspaper by any general or special law, order, rule or judgment of any court, that department shall be deemed as having met all notice requirements by publishing in a newspaper …

Section 22. For the purposes of updating the criminal history record, the trial court shall electronically send to the department of state police all criminal case disposition information for the offender, including sealing and expungement orders and dismissals, together with the…

Section 3. Any justice appointed to a department, or a division thereof, and assigned to another department, or division thereof, shall have and exercise all the powers and duties which a justice appointed to the department, or division thereof, in which said justice is sitting, …

Section 4. The salaries of the justices of the trial court shall be paid by the commonwealth. Each associate justice shall receive a salary of $207,855. The chief justice of the several departments shall receive a salary of $213,966. The chief justice of the trial court shall rec…

Section 5. The office of the chief justice of a department of the trial court, as provided in section 1, shall not be deemed a judicial office as comprehended under the provisions of Article I of Chapter III of Part the Second of the Constitution. Said office of chief justice sha…

Section 5A. The office of the deputy court administrator of a department of the trial court, as provided in section 1, shall be filled by appointment by the court administrator and the chief justice of each department of the trial court; provided, however, that said deputy court …

Section 6. The office of the chief justice of the trial court, as provided in section 1, shall not be deemed a judicial office as comprehended under the provisions of Article I of Chapter III of Part the Second of the Constitution. Said office of chief justice of the trial court …

Section 6A. There shall be an advisory board to assist the justices of the supreme judicial court, the chief justice of the trial court, and the court administrator. The board shall consist of the attorney general, or his designee, the executive director of the Massachusetts offi…

Section 6B. There shall be an office of court management within the trial court, under the executive control of a court administrator, to support the judicial functions, performance and management of the trial court. Said court administrator shall be appointed by a majority vote …

Section 7. In the case of a vacancy in the office of chief justice of a department of the trial court due to the absence of said chief justice or due to his inability to perform his duties, the office of chief justice in such event shall be filled as provided in section 5. The te…

Section 8. There shall be an advisory committee on personnel standards. The membership of the committee shall consist of the following persons: the chief justice of the trial court or his designee; the chief justices of the trial court departments, or their designees; the court a…

Section 9. The chief justice of the trial court, in addition to his judicial duties and subject to the superintendence power of the supreme judicial court as provided in section 3 of chapter 211, shall have general superintendence of the judicial policy of the trial court, includ…

Section 9A. The court administrator, subject to the superintendence power of the supreme judicial court as provided in section 3 of chapter 211 and in consultation with the chief justice of the trial court, shall have general superintendence of the administration of the trial cou…

Section 9B. The chief justice of the trial court department shall provide training on the issue of domestic violence and sexual violence in the commonwealth, at least once biannually, to all appropriate court personnel of the municipal, district, probate and family, juvenile and …