CHAPTER 387

An Act to amend and reenact §§ 17-222, 17-224 as amended, 17-225, and
17-226 as amended, of the Code of Virginia, relating to the Judicial

Council.
[S 297]
Approved April 2, 1968

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

. That §§ 17-222, 17-224 as amended, 17-225, and 17-226 as amended,
of the Code of Virginia be amended and reenacted as follows:

§ 17-222. Composition of Council.—The Judicial Council shall be
composed of nine members, consisting of three circuit court judges, two
judges of other courts of record and four attorneys qualified to practice
in the Supreme Court of Appeals. The Council may appoint committees to
aid it in the performance of its duties, and members of such committees
need not be members of the Council.

§ 17-224. Meetings of Council.—The Chief Justice, or, in case of his
inability to do so, one of the other judges of the Supreme Court of Appeals,
shall summon the Council to meet at Richmond during the month of
October in each year, and at such other times and places as the Chief
Justice, or such other judge, may designate. If any member, when so
summoned, shall for any cause be unable to attend, he shall promptly notify
the judge who issued the summons, of such fact, and such judge shall
thereupon summon some other person possessing similar qualifications to
attend and act in his stead.

Each member and/or other person, when so summoned, shall attend
and remain throughout the proceedings of the Council, unless excused by
the presiding officer, and shall advise as to any matters in respect to which,
in his opinion, the administration of justice in the courts of this Common-
wealth may be improved.

The Chief Justice or, in case of his inability to do so, one of the other
judges of the Supreme Court of Appeals, may summon the Chairman or
members of any committee to meet at such time and place as the Chief
Justice, or such other judge, may designate.

§ 17-225. Presiding officer; study of procedure.—The Chief Justice
of the Supreme Court of Appeals, or the other judge summoning the
Council, as aforesaid, shall be its presiding officer.

The Council shall, during each of its meetings, make a continuous
study of the organization and the rules and methods of procedure and
practice of the judicial system of the Commonwealth, the work accom-
plished and the results produced by the system and its various parts;
shall make studies of the need, or lack of need, of additional judges of
courts of record; and also may give consideration to the advisability and
practicability of establishing some kind of intermediate court whose judg-
ment would be final in certain classes of cases, with the view to relieving
congestion in the circuit courts. On the request of the presiding officer,
the Attorney General shall attend the Council and confer with the members
thereof, more particularly on the Commonwealth’s business in the courts,
and for the purpose of devising methods for the prevention of undue delay
in the trial of such cases.

17-226. Expenses; stenographer and secretary; printing.—Each
member of the Council shall serve without compensation, and each member
of the Council and of its committees summoned and attending its meetings
shall be allowed his actual expenses of travel and also his necessary ex-
penses for subsistence while attending the Council. As provided by § 17-
111.2 the executive secretary of the Supreme Court of Appeals shall be the
Secretary of the Judicial Council.

All necessary printing shall be done by the Department of Purchases
and Supply as may be ordered by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court
of Appeals or the judge presiding at the Council.