NCJ Number
49186
Journal
North Dakota Law Review Volume: 54 Issue: 1 Dated: (1977) Pages: 47-59
Date Published
1977
Length
13 pages
Annotation
THE NEWLY FORMED STRUCTURE FOR REGULAR, BALANCED, AND CAREFULLY CONSIDERED CHANGE IN COURT PROCEDURES IS DESCRIBED.
Abstract
UNDER A VARIETY OF MANDATES, WITH THE MOST RECENT BEING A NEW JUDICIAL ARTICLE ADDED TO THE STATE CONSTITUTION, A STRUCTURE FOR REGULAR AND COMPREHENSIVE JUDICIAL PLANNING IS EMERGING IN NORTH DAKOTA. THE VARIOUS FORUMS FOR THIS PLANNING ARE DESCRIBED IN TERMS OF CONSTITUENCY AND OPERATIONS. THE JUDICIAL PLANNING COMMITTEE, CREATED BY THE NORTH DAKOTA SUPREME COURT IN 1976, IS THE LONG-RANGE FORUM FOR ALL FORMAL JUDICIAL PLANNING IN THE STATE. THIS COMMITTEE REPRESENTS ALL LEVELS OF JUDGES, COURT PERSONNEL, ATTORNEYS, LEGISLATORS, AND THE PUBLIC. A REVIEW OF ALL AREAS OF COURT SERVICES HAS BEEN UNDERTAKEN BY THE JUDICIAL PLANNING COMMITTEE, AND A PUBLICATION OF RESULTS HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR PUBLIC COMMENT. THE PROCEDURE FOR PROPOSING A LONG-RANGE PROGRAM, SEEKING PUBLIC VIEWS, PREPARING PUBLIC DOCUMENTS, AND MONITORING AND REVIEWING IMPLEMENTATION WILL BECOME A CONTINUOUS PROCESS. IN ADDITION TO THE COMPREHENSIVE JUDICIAL PLANNING COMMITTEE, LOCAL JUDICIAL DISTRICTS ARE ALSO ENGAGED IN PLANNING WITH REFERENCE TO THEIR COURT SERVICES. A THIRD FORUM FOR PLANNING IS THE CITIZENS COMMITTEE ON THE NEW JUDICIAL ARTICLE, WHICH WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1975 TO PROVIDE A BROAD SPECTRUM OF PUBLIC INFORMATION PROGRAMS ON THE THEN PROPOSED JUDICIAL ARTICLE. SINCE THE PASSAGE OF THE ARTICLE, THE COMMITTEE FUNCTIONS TO INITIATE DISCUSSION AND STUDY OF JUDICIAL ARTICLE IMPLEMENTATION BY SUPREME COURT RULE AND BY LEGISLATION. IT IS BELIEVED THAT THE IMPETUS AND STRUCTURE NOW EXISTS TO HAVE SUSTAINED PARTICIPATORY PLANNING THAT WILL PRECLUDE THE SLUGGISH, HAPHAZARD DEVELOPMENT OF COURT SERVICES CHARACTERISTIC OF THE SYSTEM FOR SO LONG. (RCB)