Title 42, JUDICIARY AND JUDICIAL PROCEDURE

Except as otherwise provided in this subpart every court of this Commonwealth shall be a court of record with all the qualities and incidents of a court of record at common law.

Each court of this Commonwealth shall have a seal engraved with the name of the court and such other inscription as may be specified by general rule or rule of court. A facsimile or preprinted seal may be used for all purposes in lieu of the original seal.

Every court shall have power to issue, under its judicial seal, every lawful writ and process necessary or suitable for the exercise of its jurisdiction and for the enforcement of any order which it may make and all legal and equitable powers required for or incidental to the exe…

Except as otherwise prescribed by general rule or rule of court each court shall be in session as often as its judges shall deem necessary or proper and there shall be no terms of court. Each court shall always be open for the transaction of judicial business and the court or any…

(a) General rule.--The Chief Justice of Pennsylvania and the president judges of all courts with seven or less judges shall be the judge longest in continuous service on their respective courts. In the event of his resignation from this position the judge next longest in continuo…

(a) Supreme Court.--A majority of the Supreme Court shall be a quorum of the court. (b) Other courts.--The quorum requisite to hold a session of any other court shall be specified by general rule. (c) Inability to assemble quorum.--Where by reason of vacancy, illness, disqualific…

(a) General ability.--Each judicial officer, each clerk of court, each retired or senior judge and such other personnel of the system and jurors as may be designated by or pursuant to general rules may administer oaths and affirmations and take acknowledgments. An acknowledgment …

The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania shall consist of the Chief Justice of Pennsylvania and six associate justices. The court shall be the highest court of this Commonwealth and in it shall be reposed the supreme judicial power of the Commonwealth.

The Supreme Court shall have and exercise the powers vested in it by the Constitution of Pennsylvania, including the power generally to minister justice to all persons and to exercise the powers of the court, as fully and amply, to all intents and purposes, as the justices of the…

(a) General rule.--The Supreme Court may by general rule provide for the assignment and reassignment of classes of matters among the several courts of this Commonwealth and the magisterial district judges as the needs of justice shall require and all laws shall be suspended to th…

The regular sessions of the Supreme Court shall be held in the facility specified in section 3701 (relating to Pennsylvania Judicial Center) and elsewhere as prescribed by general rule.

The Superior Court of Pennsylvania shall consist of 15 judges. (June 11, 1980, P.L.213, No.63, eff. imd.)

The Superior Court shall have all powers necessary or appropriate in aid of its jurisdiction which are agreeable to the usages and principles of law.

The regular sessions of the Superior Court shall be held at the cities of Harrisburg, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh and elsewhere as prescribed by general rule or rule of court.

(a) Constitution.--In order to increase the number of Superior Court judges so that the court shall hereafter be composed of 15 judges, pursuant to sections 3 and 13 of Article V of the Constitution of Pennsylvania, the appointment of eight additional judges to the court is hereb…

The Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania shall consist of nine judges. (Oct. 5, 1980, P.L.693, No.142, eff. 60 days)

The Commonwealth Court shall have power to issue, under its judicial seal, every lawful writ and process necessary or suitable for the exercise of its jurisdiction and for the enforcement of any order which it may make, including such writs and process to or to be served or enfor…

(a) Regular sessions.--The regular sessions of the Commonwealth Court shall be held at the seat of government and elsewhere as provided in subsection (b). Each judge shall be provided with suitable chambers and other facilities at the seat of government. The intention of this pro…

In any matter which requires the taking of testimony, the President Judge of the Commonwealth Court may assign a judge of the court, or another judge temporarily assigned to the court pursuant to section 4121 (relating to assignment of judges), to sit and receive the evidence, an…

(a) General rule.--The provisions of this subchapter shall apply to all courts of this Commonwealth, including the courts of common pleas when sitting as appellate courts. (b) Reassignment of matters.--Any of the provisions of Subchapter B (relating to jurisdiction of Supreme Cou…

(a) Appeals authorized by law.--An appeal authorized by law from an interlocutory order in a matter shall be taken to the appellate court having jurisdiction of final orders in such matter. (b) Interlocutory appeals by permission.--When a court or other government unit, in making…

When a court in an eminent domain proceeding rules on preliminary objections to a declaration of taking and is of the opinion that the matters involved are of immediate public importance, it shall, upon request of a party, so state in the order. If an appeal is taken from that or…

Appeals, petitions for review, petitions for permission to appeal and petitions for allowance of appeal shall be filed in such office and in such form as may be prescribed by general rule.

(a) General rule.--The failure of an appellee to file an objection to the jurisdiction of an appellate court within such time as may be specified by general rule, shall, unless the appellate court otherwise orders, operate to perfect the appellate jurisdiction of such appellate c…

The Superior Court and the Commonwealth Court shall have power pursuant to general rules, on their own motion or upon petition of any party, to transfer any appeal to the other court for consideration and decision with any matter pending in such other court involving the same or …

An appellate court may affirm, modify, vacate, set aside or reverse any order brought before it for review, and may remand the matter and direct the entry of such appropriate order, or require such further proceedings to be had as may be just under the circumstances. Cross Refere…

Any judgment or other order of the Supreme Court, the Superior Court or the Commonwealth Court for the payment of money shall not be a lien upon real property in any county until it is entered of record in the office of the clerk of the court of common pleas of the county where t…

(a) General rule.--No objection to a governmental determination shall be defeated by reason of error in the form of the objection or the office of clerk of court in which the objection is filed. (b) Appeals.--If an appeal is improvidently taken to a court under any provision of l…

The Supreme Court shall have original but not exclusive jurisdiction of all cases of: (1) Habeas corpus. (2) Mandamus or prohibition to courts of inferior jurisdiction. (3) Quo warranto as to any officer of Statewide jurisdiction. Cross References. Section 721 is referred to in s…

The Supreme Court shall have exclusive jurisdiction of appeals from final orders of the courts of common pleas in the following classes of cases: (1) Matters prescribed by general rule. (2) The right to public office. (3) Matters where the qualifications, tenure or right to serve…

(a) General rule.--The Supreme Court shall have exclusive jurisdiction of appeals from final orders of the Commonwealth Court entered in any matter which was originally commenced in the Commonwealth Court except an order entered in a matter which constitutes an appeal to the Comm…

(a) General rule.--Except as provided by section 9781(f) (relating to limitation on additional appellate review), final orders of the Superior Court and final orders of the Commonwealth Court not appealable under section 723 (relating to appeals from Commonwealth Court) may be re…

The Supreme Court shall have exclusive jurisdiction of appeals from final orders of the following constitutional and judicial agencies: (1) Legislative Reapportionment Commission. (2) Court of Judicial Discipline, except matters within the exclusive jurisdiction of a special trib…

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Supreme Court may, on its own motion or upon petition of any party, in any matter pending before any court or magisterial district judge of this Commonwealth involving an issue of immediate public importance, assume plenary jurisdic…

(a) General rule.--A justice seeking review of a decision of the Court of Judicial Discipline pursuant to section 18 of Article V of the Constitution of Pennsylvania shall so notify the Court of Judicial Discipline. (b) Establishment.--Upon receipt of notice under subsection (a),…

The Superior Court shall have no original jurisdiction, except in cases of mandamus and prohibition to courts of inferior jurisdiction where such relief is ancillary to matters within its appellate jurisdiction, and except that it, or any judge thereof, shall have full power and …

The Superior Court shall have exclusive appellate jurisdiction of all appeals from final orders of the courts of common pleas, regardless of the nature of the controversy or the amount involved, except such classes of appeals as are by any provision of this chapter within the exc…

(a) Appeals.--The Superior Court may establish from available funds a commerce court program that shall have specialized jurisdiction. In a commerce court program established under this section, the specialized jurisdiction of appeals relating to the following matters may be vest…

(a) General rule.--The Commonwealth Court shall have original jurisdiction of all civil actions or proceedings: (1) Against the Commonwealth government, including any officer thereof, acting in his official capacity, except: (i) actions or proceedings in the nature of application…

(a) General rule.--Except as provided in subsection (b), the Commonwealth Court shall have exclusive jurisdiction of appeals from final orders of the courts of common pleas in the following cases: (1) Commonwealth civil cases.--All civil actions or proceedings: (i) Original juris…

(a) General rule.--Except as provided in subsection (c), the Commonwealth Court shall have exclusive jurisdiction of appeals from final orders of government agencies in the following cases: (1) All appeals from Commonwealth agencies under Subchapter A of Chapter 7 of Title 2 (rel…

The Commonwealth Court shall have exclusive original jurisdiction of: (1) Contested nominations and elections of the second class under the act of June 3, 1937 (P.L.1333, No.320), known as the "Pennsylvania Election Code." (2) All matters arising in the Office of the Secretary of…

(a) General rule.--The Commonwealth is divided into 60 judicial districts, numbered and composed as follows: First.--City and County of Philadelphia. Second.--County of Lancaster. Third.--County of Northampton. Fourth.--County of Tioga. Fifth.--County of Allegheny. Sixth.--County…

(a) General rule.--There shall be one court of common pleas for each judicial district of this Commonwealth consisting of the following number of judges: Judicial District Number of Judges First 93 Second 15 Third 9 Fourth 1 Fifth 43 Sixth 9 Seventh 15 Eighth 4 Ninth 7 Tenth 11 E…

Every court of common pleas shall have power to issue, under its judicial seal, every lawful writ and process to or to be served or enforced by system and related personnel as such courts have been heretofore authorized by law or usage to issue. Every judge of a court of common p…

The regular sessions of each court of common pleas shall be held at the county seat of each county comprising the judicial district and elsewhere as prescribed by general rule or rule of court.