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1997 SESSION
973360460RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, a majority of the members elected to each house agreeing, That the following amendment to the Constitution of Virginia be, and the same hereby is, proposed and referred to the General Assembly at its first regular session held after the next general election of members of the House of Delegates for its concurrence in conformity with the provisions of Section 1 of Article XII of the Constitution of Virginia, namely:
Amend Section 7 of Article VI of the Constitution of Virginia as follows:
Section 7. Selection Election and qualification of
judges.
The justices of the Supreme Court shall be chosen by the vote of a
majority of the members elected to each house of the General Assembly
elected by the qualified voters of the Commonwealth for terms
of twelve years and until their successors are elected and
qualified. The judges of all other courts of record shall be chosen
by the vote of a majority of the members elected to each house of the General
Assembly elected by the qualified voters of the Commonwealth or of
their respective districts, as provided by law, for terms of eight
years. During any vacancy which may exist while the General Assembly is
not in session, the Governor may appoint a successor to serve until thirty days
after the commencement of the next session of the General Assembly. Upon
election by the General Assembly, a new justice or judge shall begin service of
a full term and until their successors are elected and
qualified. Vacancies shall be filled as provided by law. The General Assembly
shall provide by law for the implementation of this section beginning with the
November general election in nineteen hundred ninety-nine. Terms shall begin
the January one following the November general election. The term of any
justice or judge in office January one, nineteen hundred
ninety-nine, may be extended no longer than one year as provided by law to
establish a schedule for the election of justices and judges.
All justices of the Supreme Court and all judges of other courts of record
shall be residents of the Commonwealth and shall, at least five years prior to
their appointment or election, have been admitted to the bar of the
Commonwealth. Each judge of a trial court of record shall during his term of
office reside within the jurisdiction of one of the courts to which he was
appointed or elected; provided, however, that where the boundary of such
jurisdiction is changed by annexation or otherwise, no judge thereof shall
thereby become disqualified from office or ineligible for reelection
if, except for such annexation or change, he would otherwise be
qualified.