Members of the Judicial Council serve for the following terms:

(1) If he designates no other member of the Supreme Court, the Chief Justice serves during his term of office. If the Chief Justice designates some other member of the court, the other member serves during his term of office.

(2) The President of the Senate, Speaker of the House or their designees, and the Chairmen of the Senate Finance Committee, House Ways and Means Committee, Senate Judiciary Committee, and House Judiciary Committee or their designees serve during their respective terms as those officers.

(3) The person recommended by the South Carolina Bar and appointed by the Chief Justice serves coterminous with the term of the President of the South Carolina Bar who makes the recommendation of the person for appointment.

(4) The Chief Judge of the South Carolina Court of Appeals serves during his term of office.

(5) The member of the legal department of the State (Attorney General, one of the Assistant Attorneys General, or one of the circuit solicitors) serves for a period of four years.

(6) The Dean or member of the faculty of the Law School of the University of South Carolina and the person recommended by the Charleston School of Law serve for a period of four years.

(7) The two circuit court judges serve for a period of four years each.

(8) The two family court judges serve for a period of four years each.

(9) The two judges of the probate courts serve for a period of four years each.

(10) The Director of the Legislative Council serves during his term of office.

(11) The two summary court judges serve for a period of four years each.

(12) The two masters-in-equity serve for a period of four years each.

(13) Three of the remaining six members of the Judicial Council must be appointed initially for terms of two years each, and three members must be appointed initially for terms of four years each. After the initial appointments, all six members must be appointed for terms of four years each.

The members designated in items (4), (5), (6), (7), (8), (9), (11), and (12) cease to be members of the Judicial Council before the expiration of their respective terms if they cease to hold the official positions entitling them to membership on the Judicial Council.

HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 15-2104; 1957 (50) 43; 1977 Act No. 112 Section 3; 1988 Act No. 678, Part III, Section 3, eff January 1, 1989; 2012 Act No. 244, Section 3, eff June 18, 2012; 2019 Act No. 1 (S.2), Section 91, eff January 31, 2019.

Effect of Amendment

2019 Act No. 1, Section 91, in (2), substituted "The President of the Senate" for "The Lieutenant Governor".