§ 21a. Duties of the Chief Superior Judge

(a) The Chief Superior Judge shall assign and specially assign Superior judges, including themselves, and Environmental judges to the Superior Court. All Superior judges except Environmental judges shall be subject to the requirements of rotation as ordered by the Supreme Court. Assignments made pursuant to the rotation schedule shall be subject to the approval of the Supreme Court.

(b) In making any assignment under this section, the Chief Superior Judge shall give consideration to the experience, temperament, and training of a judge and the needs of the court. In making an assignment to the Environmental Division, the Chief Superior Judge shall give consideration to experience and expertise in environmental and land use law and shall assign or specially assign judges in a manner to provide appropriate attention to all geographic areas of the State.

(c) In making any assignments to the Environmental Division under this section, the Chief Superior Judge shall regularly assign two judges, at least one of whom shall be an Environmental judge. An Environmental judge may be assigned to other divisions in the Superior Court for a period of time not exceeding two years. When assigned to other divisions in the Superior Court, the Environmental judge shall have all the powers and responsibilities of a Superior judge. (Added 1989, No. 221 (Adj. Sess.), § 2, eff. Oct. 1, 1990; amended 1993, No. 232 (Adj. Sess.), § 40; 1995, No. 181 (Adj. Sess.), § 20; 1999, No. 148 (Adj. Sess.), § 71, eff. May 24, 2000; 2001, No. 149 (Adj. Sess.), § 71, eff. June 27, 2002; 2003, No. 115 (Adj. Sess.), § 7, eff. Jan. 31, 2005; 2009, No. 154 (Adj. Sess.), § 3; 2021, No. 147 (Adj. Sess.), § 8, eff. May 31, 2022.)