The Florida Bar will oppose a proposed constitutional amendment that would require Senate confirmation for state Supreme Court justices appointed by the governor.
The Bar’s Board of Governors voted last week to officially oppose the ballot question.
The provision would also make it easier for lawmakers to influence court procedureal rules, allowing them to change them with a simple majority vote, rather than a supermajority. The proposal also would give lawmakers more access to confidential files involving judges accused of misconduct.
“The courts’ rulemaking process should be primarily within the purview of the court,” said Florida Bar President Gwynne Young. “Court procedural rules do not concern substantive rights or policy matters which are properly the domain of the Legislature. Amendment 5 would erode the meaningful balance of governmental powers now clearly outlined in Florida’s Constitution.”
