Title 4 — Judiciary
22 chapters · 138 sections in this title.
4 V.I.C. § 21 Establishment; composition; sessions; seal
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(a) The Supreme Court of the Virgin Islands is established pursuant to section 21(a) of the Revised Organic Act of the Virgin Islands, as amended, as the highest court of the Virgin Islands and in it shall be reposed the supreme judicial power of the Territory. As used in this ch…
4 V.I.C. § 22 Nomination and appointment of justices; selection of chief justice; prohibitions on practice of law and outside employment
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(a) The Governor shall appoint, with the advice and consent of the Legislature, no fewer than three but no more than five justices and subject to the advice and consent of the Legislature, appoint a qualified person to fill any vacancy occurring in the office of justice in the Su…
4 V.I.C. § 23 Temporary absence of Chief Justice
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(a) The Chief Justice presides at all sessions of the Supreme Court. (b) Whenever the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Virgin Islands is, because of illness, disqualification, conflict, recusal, or by any other temporary absence disabled from actively performing his duties a…
4 V.I.C. § 24 Assignment of retired justices and judges to sit in court
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(a) In addition to the justices appointed under subsection 22(a), the Chief Justice may appoint any judge of a court of record in the Virgin Islands or any senior or retired justice to sit as a designated justice of the Supreme Court of the Virgin Islands. A retired judge may als…
4 V.I.C. § 25 Involuntary retirement
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Pursuant to title 4 V.I.C. chapter 36, a justice of the Supreme Court shall be involuntarily retired from office when the Commission on Judicial Conduct determines that the justice suffers from a mental or physical disability, including habitual intemperance, which prevents, or s…
4 V.I.C. § 26 Restrictions on practice of law by retired justices
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(a) No justice who is a member of the Government Employees Retirement System, while receiving a retirement annuity in connection with retirement from service under this chapter, may engage in the practice of law before any of the courts of the Virgin Islands as an employee or off…
4 V.I.C. § 27 Removal of justices; forfeiture of office
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(a) The Justices of the Supreme Court are subject to removal pursuant to title 4 V.I.C. chapter 36, and any justice removed may not exercise his office until exonerated. (b) A justice who becomes a candidate for an elective public office shall thereby forfeit his judicial office.…
4 V.I.C. § 28 Rules of conduct for justices
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The Supreme Court shall make rules for the conduct of justices, both on and off the bench. In addition, the Supreme Court may adopt the relevant and applicable provisions of the American Bar Association Model Code of Judicial Conduct to govern the conduct of justices.
4 V.I.C. § 29 Compensation of justices
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(a) The Chief Justice shall receive as compensation an annual salary fifteen percent higher than the annual salary of the presiding judge of the Superior Court, and each of the full-time associate justices shall receive an annual salary five thousand dollars lower than the annual…
4 V.I.C. § 30 Appointment of officers and employees; office space
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(a) The Supreme Court may employ such professional, administrative and clerical personnel as it considers necessary. (b) The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court may appoint and fix the terms, duties and compensation of the officers and employees of the Court. (c) (1) The Supreme C…
4 V.I.C. § 31 Internal procedures of the Supreme Court
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(a) Decisions concerning substantive matters. In hearing and determining the merits of cases before it, the Supreme Court initially sits in a three justice panel. A decision is determined by a majority vote of a panel. If a majority of the panel is unable to agree on a decision, …
4 V.I.C. § 32 Jurisdiction
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(a) The Supreme Court shall have jurisdiction over all appeals arising from final judgments, final decrees or final orders of the Superior Court, or as otherwise provided by law. (b) The Supreme Court shall have all inherent powers, including the power to issue all writs necessar…
4 V.I.C. § 33 Availability of appealable judgments and orders
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(a) Appealable judgments and orders to the Supreme Court shall be available only upon the entry of final judgment in the Superior Court from which appeal or application for review is taken. (b) Interlocutory review-civil. The Supreme Court of the Virgin Islands has jurisdiction o…
4 V.I.C. § 34 Court rules
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(a) The Supreme Court may, from time to time, promulgate or amend general rules, or where it considers it best for the advancement of justice, may make special orders, provide for the conduct of the business of the Court, and regulate the practice and procedure governing causes a…