The bill amends Sections 12-18-10 and 12-18-61 of the Code of Alabama 1975 to revise the process for calling retired justices and judges to active duty. It allows any retired Supreme Court justice, court of appeals judge, or circuit judge to be called to interim active duty upon request from the Chief Justice, presiding judge, or Governor, with the retired judge's consent. The bill introduces a new compensation rate of $780 per day for these judges while serving, which can be funded through discretionary funds from the presiding circuit judge. It also removes previous restrictions on calling retired circuit judges to active duty, streamlining the process and limiting their service to a maximum of 50 days per calendar year.

Furthermore, the bill mandates that retired judges must complete a minimum of six hours of approved continuing legal education annually and clarifies that they will not be considered public officials during their service. The Chief Justice and presiding circuit judge will evaluate the performance of retired judges, with provisions for immediate removal if their performance is deemed unsatisfactory. The previous requirement for the presiding circuit judge to certify the need for a retired judge's service based on a judicial weighted caseload study has been deleted. The act is set to take effect on October 1, 2024.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 12-18-10, 12-18-61
Enrolled: 12-18-10, 12-18-61