Title 14, Courts

The amounts specified for expenses connected with the Supreme Court shall be paid upon the approval and order of the Chief Justice.

The Supreme Court may require the sheriff of each and every county to whom any order or process issuing from said court may be directed to serve and execute the same and shall have the same power to enforce such service and execution and to punish default thereon as is vested in …

The justices of the Supreme Court shall qualify within twelve months after the date of their election by taking the constitutional oath or the office shall be declared vacant by the Governor. The oath shall be administered by a justice of said court or by a circuit judge.

The Chief Justice shall receive such annual salary as may be provided by the General Assembly and the associate justices shall receive such annual salary as may be provided by the General Assembly. They shall not be allowed any fees or perquisites of office, nor shall they hold a…

The Supreme Court shall have power to issue writs or orders of injunction, mandamus, quo warranto, prohibition, certiorari, habeas corpus and other remedial and original writs.

The Supreme Court shall have appellate jurisdiction only in cases of chancery, and in such appeals they shall review the findings of fact as well as the law, except in chancery cases when the facts are settled by a jury and the verdict not set aside; provided, that in cases which…

The Supreme Court shall have appellate jurisdiction for correction of errors of law in law cases, and shall review upon appeal: (1) Any intermediate judgment, order or decree in a law case involving the merits in actions commenced in the court of common pleas and general sessions…

Whenever in the course of any action or proceeding in the Supreme Court arising in the exercise of the original jurisdiction conferred upon the court by the Constitution and laws of the State an issue of fact shall arise upon the pleadings or when an issue of fact shall arise upo…

Each of the justices of the Supreme Court shall have the same power at chambers to administer oaths, issue writs of habeas corpus, mandamus, quo warranto, certiorari and prohibition and interlocutory writs or orders of injunction as when in open court. But an appeal shall be allo…

In all cases decided by the Supreme Court the concurrence of three of the justices shall be necessary for a reversal of the judgment below, subject to the provisions of Sections 14-3-370 and 14-3-380.

Whenever, upon the hearing of any cause or question before the Supreme Court in the exercise of its original or appellate jurisdiction, (a) it shall appear to the justices thereof or any three of them that there is involved a question of constitutional law or of conflict between …

A majority of the justices of the Supreme Court and circuit judges shall constitute a quorum. The decision of the court so constituted, or a majority of the justices and judges sitting, shall be final and conclusive. In such case the Chief Justice or in his absence the presiding …

Between the first and fifteenth days of December in each year the Chief Justice or, in his absence or inability to attend, the senior associate justice shall form a roster of the circuit judges of the several circuits in order to arrange a regular and continuous assignment and in…

All vacancies in the Supreme Court shall be filled by elections as herein prescribed; provided, that if the unexpired term does not exceed one year such vacancy may be filled by executive appointment. When a vacancy is so filled by either appointment or election, the incumbent sh…

Immediately thereupon the Chief Justice or, in his absence or inability to act, the senior associate justice shall direct the clerk of the Supreme Court to furnish each of the circuit judges, as well as the Chief Justice and senior associate justice, with a certified copy of such…

The Supreme Court shall be a court of record, and the records thereof shall at all times be subject to the inspection of the citizens of the State or other persons interested. The records shall be kept in a manner prescribed by the justices of the court.

In all actions and proceedings brought in the Supreme Court in its original jurisdiction the court may provide, by rule, order or otherwise, for the payment of reasonable costs and disbursements of the case by the losing party or otherwise as in the judgment of the court may be j…

Upon an appeal under item (3) of Section 14-3-330 the court may review any intermediate order involving the merits and necessarily affecting the order appealed from.

Upon any appeal from an order granting a new trial on a case made, or on exceptions taken, if the Supreme Court shall determine that no error was committed in granting the new trial, it shall render judgment absolute upon the right of the appellant; and after the proceedings are …

In case of an appeal under item (4) of Section 14-3-330 the proceedings in other respects in the court below shall not be stayed during the pendency of such appeal unless otherwise ordered by the court below.

In addition to the cases mentioned in Section 14-1-130, no justice shall preside in any case or at the hearing thereof in which he may be interested or in which he may have been counsel or has presided in any inferior court.

In case all or any of the justices of the Supreme Court shall be disqualified or be otherwise prevented from presiding in any cause, the court, or the justices thereof, shall certify the same to the Governor of the State, and he shall immediately commission specially the requisit…

The Supreme Court shall hold at least nine terms in each year at the seat of government, commencing on the second Monday in each month except the months of July, August and September. Each of such terms shall be continued for so long a period as the public interest may require. T…

The court may by general rules prescribe and provide the order in which cases shall be docketed and the priority thereof on the calendar except: (1) On a second and each subsequent appeal to the Supreme Court, or when an appeal has once been dismissed for a defect or irregularity…

If the cases on the calendar and set for hearing cannot be heard in the period allotted the court shall continue the same to be heard after the regular call of the cases for that session or may call an extra term for the hearing of the same or continue them to the next stated ter…

The court may establish and promulgate such rules and regulations as may be necessary to carry into effect the provisions of this article and to facilitate the work of the court.

If at any term of the Supreme Court proper and convenient room both for the consultation of the judges and the holding of the court, with furniture, attendants, fuel, lights and stationery suitable and sufficient for the transaction of its business, be not provided for in the pla…

The Supreme Court may be held in other buildings than those designated by law as places for holding courts and at a different place, at the same city or town, from that at which it is appointed to be held. Any one or more of the judges may adjourn the court with the like effect a…

When such appointments are made by the Governor, such person shall receive as compensation for his services while so acting as associate justice of the Supreme Court for the time actually engaged in performing such services the same salary allowance and expenses and stenographic …

The Chief Justice shall preside. In the absence of the Chief Justice, the justice oldest in service and present shall preside.

The clerk of the Supreme Court shall, upon the rendition of an opinion by the Supreme Court, deliver forthwith to the reporter of said court a certified copy of such decision made by the court, together with a copy of the printed arguments and the briefs of counsel, for use in pu…

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, the President of the Senate and the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court shall appoint a committee of four, composed of two members of the House of Representatives to be appointed by the Speaker, one member of the Senate to be appointed …

The reports of the decisions shall contain at least such matter as is now found in the South Carolina Reports including: (1) A syllabus of the decision, citations, statements of the testimony and pleadings sufficient to give an understanding of the case and the decision of the co…

The Legislative Council shall distribute the copies of the reports of the decisions of the Supreme Court purchased by the State as follows: (1) To the offices of the Governor, of the Attorney General of the State and of the Attorney General of the United States, to each circuit j…

It shall be the duty of all the justices to be present. Any three of the justices shall constitute a quorum.

There shall be established a "Court Register" which shall be published and maintained in current status with all proposed and final form rules promulgated by the Supreme Court. The Register shall be the responsibility of the Court Administrator. The Court Administrator shall tran…

All rules and amendments to rules governing practice and procedure in all courts of this State promulgated by the Supreme Court shall be submitted by the Supreme Court to the Judiciary Committee of each House of the General Assembly during a regular session, but not later than th…

The circuit courts herein established shall be courts of record, and the books of record thereof shall, at all times, be subject to the inspection of any person interested therein.

The circuit judges of this State, upon their election, shall qualify by taking the oath required by the Constitution of this State before a justice of the Supreme Court, the President of the Senate, the Speaker or Speaker Emeritus of the House of Representatives, a circuit judge,…

The circuit judges shall each receive such annual salary as may be provided by the General Assembly.

If any circuit judge shall fail or neglect to hold a term of any court of general sessions or common pleas in any circuit to which he may be assigned until the business of such court shall have been disposed of or the end of the term arrives, shall fail to recognize and obey the …

Each circuit judge, when disabled by sickness or other cause to hold any court to which he may be assigned, shall give or cause to be given prompt notice of such inability or disability to the Chief Justice so that his place may be temporarily filled and the court held according …

Whenever any circuit judge, pending his assignment to hold the courts of any circuit, shall die, resign, be disabled by illness or be excused for any other reason considered sufficient in the opinion of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court or in case of a vacancy in the office …

In the event there be no other disengaged circuit judge available to hold such courts, then the Governor shall immediately commission as special judge some person learned in the law, as shall be recommended by the Supreme Court or by the Chief Justice thereof if the Supreme Court…

Whenever the time fixed for holding any of the courts of general sessions or common pleas of this State shall be found not sufficient for the trial of all cases before the court, a like assignment of a disengaged circuit judge or commission of a special judge may be had to hold t…

Should there be a vacancy in the office of Chief Justice of the Supreme Court or in case of his absence from the State or of his illness or incapacity from whatever cause, then the power and authority vested and the duties imposed upon the Chief Justice by the provisions of Secti…