PRINTER'S NO. 2874
No. 2184 Session of 1998
INTRODUCED BY SCHRODER, ARMSTRONG, FARGO, CHADWICK,
E. Z. TAYLOR, BROWN, HERMAN, HENNESSEY, HALUSKA, LYNCH AND
STEELMAN, FEBRUARY 3, 1998
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY, FEBRUARY 3, 1998
AN ACT
1 Amending Title 42 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure) of the
2 Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, rescinding the King's
3 Bench power of the Supreme Court.
4 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
5 hereby enacts as follows:
6 Section 1. Sections 501 and 502 of Title 42 of the
7 Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes are amended to read:
8 § 501. Supreme Court.
9 (a) General rule.--The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania shall
10 consist of the Chief Justice of Pennsylvania and six associate
11 justices. The court shall be the highest court of this
12 Commonwealth [and in it shall be reposed the supreme judicial
13 power of the Commonwealth].
14 (b) Certain powers rescinded.--Except as provided by
15 statute, the Supreme Court shall not have King's Bench power.
16 § 502. General powers of Supreme Court.
17 The Supreme Court shall have and exercise the powers vested
18 in it by the Constitution of Pennsylvania[, including the power
1 generally to minister justice to all persons and to exercise the
2 powers of the court, as fully and amply, to all intents and
3 purposes, as the justices of the Court of King's Bench, Common
4 Pleas and Exchequer, at Westminster, or any of them, could or
5 might do on May 22, 1722. The Supreme Court shall also have and
6 exercise the following powers:
7 (1) All powers necessary or appropriate in aid of its
8 original and appellate jurisdiction which are agreeable to
9 the usages and principles of law.
10 (2) The] and powers vested in it by statute, including
11 the provisions of this title.
12 Section 2. This act shall take effect upon the date of
13 publication in the Pennsylvania Bulletin of certification by the
14 Secretary of the Commonwealth that a constitutional amendment
15 has been adopted rescinding the King's Bench power of the
16 Supreme Court.
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