Coordinates: 42°21′33″N 71°03′39″W / 42.359297°N 71.060954°W
| Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts | |
|---|---|
Seal with motto "Nulli vendemus, nulli negabimus aut differemus, rectum aut justitiam" (To no one will we sell, to no one deny or delay right or justice) | |
| Established | 1692 |
| Location | Boston, Massachusetts |
| Coordinates | 42°21′32.75″N 71°3′40.5″W / 42.3590972°N 71.061250°W |
| Composition method | Executive appointments with quasi-legislative consent |
| Authorized by | Massachusetts Constitution |
| Appeals to | Supreme Court of the United States |
| Judge term length | Mandatory retirement at 70 years of age |
| Number of positions | 7 |
| Website | Official website |
| Chief Justice | |
| Currently | Kimberly S. Budd |
| Since | December 1, 2020 |
| Lead position ends | October 23, 2036 |
The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) is the highest court in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Although the claim is disputed by the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania,[1][2] the SJC claims the distinction of being the oldest continuously functioning appellate court in the Americas,[3] with a recognized history dating to the establishment of the Massachusetts Superior Court of Judicature in 1692 under the charter of the Province of Massachusetts Bay.[4][nb 1]
Although it was historically composed of four associate justices and one chief justice, the court is currently composed of six associate justices and one chief justice.
The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court traces its history back to the high court of the British Province of Massachusetts Bay, which was chartered in 1692. Under the terms of that charter, Governor Sir William Phips established the Superior Court of Judicature as the province's local court of last resort (some of the court's decisions could be appealed to courts in England). When the Massachusetts State Constitution was established in 1780, legislative and judicial records show that the state's high court, although renamed, was a continuation of provincial high court. During and after the period of the American Revolution the court had members who were appointed by royal governors, the executive council of the Massachusetts Provincial Congress (which acted as the state's executive from 1775 to 1780), and governors elected under the state constitution.
The SJC sits at the John Adams Courthouse, One Pemberton Square, Boston, Massachusetts 02108, which also houses the Massachusetts Appeals Court and the Social Law Library. The legal citation for the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court is "Mass."
The Court consists of a Chief Justice and six Associate Justices appointed by the Governor of Massachusetts with the consent of the Governor's Council.
The Justices hold office until the mandatory retirement age of seventy, like all other Massachusetts judges since 1972.
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Main article: List of justices of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court |
The currently serving justices are:
| Position | Name | Portrait | Born | Joined | Mandatory retirement | Appointed by | College | Law school |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chief Justice | Kimberly S. Budd | October 23, 1966 | December 1, 2020[a] | 2036 | Charlie Baker (R) | Georgetown | Harvard | |
| Associate Justice | Frank Gaziano | September 8, 1963 | August 18, 2016 | 2034 | Charlie Baker (R) | Lafayette College | Suffolk | |
| Associate Justice | David A. Lowy | 1959/1960 (age 62–63) | August 24, 2016 | 2029/2030 | Charlie Baker (R) | UMass | Boston University | |
| Associate Justice | Elspeth B. Cypher | February 26, 1959 | March 31, 2017[9] | 2029 | Charlie Baker (R) | Emerson | Suffolk | |
| Associate Justice | Scott L. Kafker | April 24, 1959 | August 21, 2017 | 2029 | Charlie Baker (R) | Amherst | Chicago | |
| Associate Justice | Dalila Argaez Wendlandt | 1968/1969 (age 53–54) | December 4, 2020 | 2038/2039 | Charlie Baker (R) | Illinois | Stanford | |
| Associate Justice | Serge Georges Jr. | 1969/1970 (age 52–53)[10] | December 16, 2020 | 2039/2040 | Charlie Baker (R) | Boston College | Suffolk |
