Expand the Chief Justice's authority to assign circuit judges to service on the Intermediate Court of Appeals.

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, or in the event the number of cases is such that timely disposition may be affected, the chief justice of the supreme court may designate circuit judges or retired intermediate appellate judges or retired supreme court justices to temporarily substitute for appellate judges or to act as additional appellate judges for the time as is necessary to fill [such] the 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 Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 3. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.