Notwithstanding any other provisions of law or rule of court, no member of the General Assembly shall be required to appear in court as an attorney, who is the attorney of record, witness or otherwise during any regular legislative day, on any day in which the General Assembly is in special session, or on any other day when any legislator is required to attend any official legislative committee meeting. During the same period no case in which a member of the General Assembly is listed as an attorney of record shall be stricken from the calendar because such member of the General Assembly failed to appear for trial at the time designated by the court.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, the right to a continuance, where such continuance is based upon an attorney in such case being a member of the legislature, shall be a matter of right except in the following situations and under the following circumstances, and none other, to wit:

(1) where litigation involves emergency relief and irreparable damage;

(2) where such attorney has previously been granted continuances for the same case for a period greater than one hundred eighty days; or

(3) in a criminal case where the client is incarcerated unless the defendant shall give his written consent to the continuance.

This section shall not affect or deny any other rights which a legislator may have to be excused from court appearances or appearances before administrative bodies or commissions provided by other provisions of law.