News about the Massachusetts court system can be found at www.mass.gov/courts/.
Amendment to Superior Court Rule 9A
Supreme Judicial Court Chief Justice Margaret H. Marshall recently signed an Amendment to Superior Court Rule 9A, which is effective March 2.
Go to www.mass.gov/courts/courtsandjudges/courts/superiorcourt/rule9a.pdf to view the amendment.
SJC Steering Committee on Self-Represented Litigants presents final report and recommendations to justices
The justices of the Supreme Judicial Court recently received the Final Report and Recommendations of the Court’s Steering Committee on Self-Represented Litigants and praised the steering committee for its dedicated work and implementation of major initiatives during the past six years.
The justices are in the process of reviewing the 43-page report with action expected to be taken this spring on several key recommendations.
The report summarizes the steering committee’s work in the following six major areas and offers recommendations for future efforts.
- Expanding access to legal representation through limited assistance representation (sometimes referred to as “unbundling” of legal services);
- Judicial guidelines and training;
- Resource and referral guide for self-represented litigants;
- Guidelines and training for court staff;
- Technology initiatives; and
- User friendly courts.
Go to www.mass.gov/courts/sjc/docs/self-rep-final-report.pdf to view the Self-Represented Litigants Final Report.
Superior Court commemorates 150th Anniversary with 2009 programs
To mark the 150th anniversary of the Massachusetts Superior Court in 2009, Chief Justice Barbara J. Rouse recently announced that the Superior Court is planning a multifaceted, statewide commemoration throughout the year, with activities and programs designed to raise the public’s awareness of the work of the judiciary.
A highlight of the yearlong programming will be a statewide symposium that will explore the Superior Court’s origin, the impact of themes such as judicial independence in notable cases, and future challenges facing the court.
Go to www.mass.gov/courts/press/summary-of-events.pdf to view the detailed listing of the programs and activities in each county that will be announced as the dates for the events are confirmed.
The Massachusetts Bar Foundation and judges of the Superior Court have provided funding for the planned activities.