093_SB0123

 
                                     LRB093 03429 RLC 06605 b

 1        AN ACT concerning the judiciary.

 2        Be it enacted by the People of  the  State  of  Illinois,
 3    represented in the General Assembly:

 4        Section  1.  Short  title.  This  Act may be cited as the
 5    Judicial Advisory Council Act.

 6        Section 5. Creation; membership; tenure; vacancies.
 7        (a)  The Judicial Advisory Council is created  consisting
 8    of 16 members. Ten members of the Council shall be members of
 9    the  General Assembly chosen as follows: 5 Senators appointed
10    3 by the President of the Senate and 2 by the Senate Minority
11    Leader and 5 Representatives appointed 3 by  the  Speaker  of
12    the  House  of  Representatives  and  2 by the House Minority
13    Leader. Six members of the Council shall  be  chosen  by  the
14    Supreme Court of Illinois.
15        (b)  Council  members  shall  be  appointed before July 1
16    each odd-numbered year for a 2-year term commencing  July  1,
17    and  until  their  respective  successors  are  appointed and
18    qualified, except that General Assembly members  shall  serve
19    that  term  or  until  the  termination  of their legislative
20    service, whichever first occurs. Vacancies shall be filled by
21    the appropriate appointing authority for the unexpired  term.
22    All  appointments  must  be  in  writing  and  filed with the
23    Secretary of State as a public record.

24        Section 10. Compensation. Members of  the  Council  shall
25    receive  no compensation but shall be reimbursed for expenses
26    necessarily required in the performance of their duties.

27        Section 15. Meetings; selection of chair and  vice-chair;
28    quorum.
29        (a)  The Council shall meet 3 times per calendar year and
 
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 1    at  other  times  on  call of the chair or any 9 members at a
 2    place designated by the chair. Notice of the time  and  place
 3    of  each  meeting  shall  be  given  by  the secretary of the
 4    Council to each member at least 7 days before the date of the
 5    meeting.
 6        (b)  The Council at its first meeting in each year  shall
 7    select  the chair and vice-chair from among its membership to
 8    serve until their successors are selected.
 9        (c)  Nine members of the Council constitute a quorum, and
10    a majority of a quorum has authority to  act  in  any  matter
11    within the jurisdiction of the Council.

12        Section   20.   Employees.  The  Council  may  employ  an
13    executive director, office staff, and other assistants, as it
14    deems necessary.

15        Section 25. Duties.  The  Council  shall,  by  continuous
16    study  of  the  problems involved, devise means (i) to effect
17    the improvement of the administration of justice in and  with
18    relation  to  the  State  and  (ii)  to  formulate all proper
19    suggestions and recommendations  concerning  legislation  and
20    other  measures  designed  to  bring  about that improvement.
21    Within the scope of its study shall be the laws of this State
22    relating to judicial  organization,  criminal  law,  criminal
23    procedure, and civil procedure; the functioning of the courts
24    of  the  State,  both internally and in relation to all other
25    public agencies in the State whose work connects with that of
26    the courts; the rules of the courts; and  the  administrative
27    methods   employed   by   the  courts.  The  suggestions  and
28    recommendations resulting from the study shall from  time  to
29    time  be reported in writing to the Supreme Court and, so far
30    as they relate to legislation, shall also be laid before  the
31    Judicial  Advisory Council of the County of Cook. The Council
32    shall further co-operate with the Judicial  Advisory  Council
 
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 1    of  the  County  of  Cook  in  such  manner  as  is or may be
 2    prescribed by law in relation to that body.

 3        Section 30. Powers. The Council  may  prepare  drafts  of
 4    legislation  intended  to  carry  out its recommendations, as
 5    well as reports, memoranda, and  other  papers  necessary  or
 6    incident to the performance of its tasks. Its members, with a
 7    view  to  obtaining information and suggestions that will aid
 8    in the attainment of its objects, are authorized to visit and
 9    observe the courts  of  other  jurisdictions  and  to  attend
10    meetings  of  professional  bodies  and  of  associations and
11    groups  engaged  in  study  or   research   or   other   work
12    contributing  to  the  modernization  of  law or procedure or
13    otherwise looking to better standards of  civil  or  criminal
14    justice.

15        Section 35. Reports. The Council shall submit a report of
16    the  results  of  its study together with its recommendations
17    and drafts of legislation to each General Assembly within  30
18    days   after  the  convening  of  the  General  Assembly  and
19    contemporaneously to the Supreme Court.