(a) The Chief Justice shall see that the business of the several courts of the state is attended with proper dispatch and that cases, civil and criminal, are not permitted to become congested or delayed, and he shall take care that prisoners are not allowed to remain in the jails without a prompt trial.

(b) In connection with these duties and other responsibilities, the Chief Justice is authorized and empowered:

(1) To maintain a roster of supernumerary circuit judges who are willing and able to undertake special duties from time to time and to assign supernumerary circuit judges in accordance with the provisions of law and, further, to assign supernumerary circuit judges and circuit judges, provided they are agreeable, in connection with studies, projects and functions designed to improve the administration of justice and the courts in Alabama and in connection with projects, studies and functions of the Administrative Office of Courts, the Department of Court Management, the Permanent Study Commission on Alabama's Judicial System and the Judicial Conference. While so serving, such supernumerary circuit judges and circuit judges shall be paid the same compensation as if they were holding court and shall be entitled to their necessary expenses of travel and to the same maintenance expense allowances, paid from the State Treasury, as if they were holding court outside their circuits.

(2) To appoint, employ and terminate, in connection with any grants which the Administrative Office of Courts, the Department of Court Management, the Permanent Study Commission on Alabama's Judicial System, the Supreme Court and the Judicial Conference may receive from any source, any officers, officials, consultants, reporters and employees who may be used in connection with the purposes and functions of such grants without regard to the provisions of the merit system, on a full-time or part-time basis, at such compensation or salaries as he may direct.

(3) To use any officials and employees of the Administrative Office of Courts, the Department of Court Management, the Permanent Study Commission on Alabama's Judicial System, the Supreme Court and the Judicial Conference on a part-time basis outside of their regular duties in connection with any study, project or function being conducted by or for the Department of Court Management, the Permanent Study Commission on Alabama's Judicial System, the Supreme Court and the Judicial Conference.

(4) To appoint, employ and terminate all officers, officials, consultants and employees of the Administrative Office of Courts, the Department of Court Management, the Permanent Study Commission on Alabama's Judicial System and the Judicial Conference without regard to the merit system, on either a full-time or part-time basis, at such compensation or salaries as he may direct and to direct that such compensation or salaries for such officials or employees be paid, in full or in part, from funds appropriated to the Administrative Office of Courts, the Department of Court Management, the Supreme Court, the Permanent Study Commission on Alabama's Judicial System and the Judicial Conference, separately or jointly in accordance with his directions.

(5) To obtain from court officials, including clerks, registers, judges and court reporters, statistics, data and other factual information which the Chief Justice may deem advisable pertaining to the courts, the work of such court officials and said court officials' offices, at such times as the Chief Justice may deem advisable. The Chief Justice is further empowered to prepare forms for such court officials to fill out and submit in accordance with his directions. For the failure of any court official to furnish such information as may be requested from said court official, said court official shall forfeit $100.00 to the state to be recovered on motion by the district attorney or assistant district attorney of any court of record of the county in which the court official resides, or by the Attorney General of the state, in the name of the state. Such court official to have three days' notice of such motion.

(6) To assign any circuit judge, when it is deemed advisable or necessary for the prompt dispatch of the business of the Supreme Court of Alabama, the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals and the Alabama Court of Civil Appeals, to temporary duty on any one or more of said courts, provided such circuit judge is agreeable to such assignment. Whenever any said circuit judge is so assigned such judge shall be allowed and paid his necessary expenses of travel and shall be entitled to the same maintenance expense allowances from the State Treasury that he is entitled to receive when he attends and holds court or transacts other official business outside the circuit for which he is elected.

(7) To take affirmative and appropriate action to correct or alleviate any condition or situation adversely affecting the administration of justice within the state.

(8) To take any such other, further or additional action as maybe necessary for the orderly administration of justice within the state, whether or not enumerated in this section or elsewhere.