Removes chief judge's discretion in assignment of judges to intermediate appellate court's three-judge panels.

A BILL FOR AN ACT

SECTION 1. Section 602-55, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

"§602-55 Panels; substitute judge. Parties shall be entitled to a hearing before a panel of not less than three intermediate appellate judges. In the event the number of available intermediate appellate judges is insufficient to make up a panel because of vacancy or disqualification, the chief justice of the supreme court may designate circuit judges or retired intermediate appellate judges or retired supreme court justices to temporarily fill such need. [The assignment to a panel shall rest in the discretion of the chief judge.] A judge serving temporarily shall not be actively engaged in the practice of law. Substitute judges shall be compensated per diem at a rate of pay equivalent to that of associate intermediate appellate judges."

SECTION 2. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken.

SECTION 3. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2006.