Georgia Courts

The Judicial Council is a policy-making body chaired by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Georgia. Membership of the Judicial Council consists of twenty-six judges representing the appellate and trial courts of the state. The Council meets at least three times a year to consider judgeships, budgetary and policy matters, and other judicial branch programs.

• Judicial Council of Georgia Members’ Guide
• Records Retention Schedules
• Learn more about the Judicial Council

  History and Background

  The state legislature created the Judicial Council (OCGA § 15-5-20) in 1973; in 1978 the Council officially became an administrative arm of the Georgia Supreme Court. The Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) serves as staff to the Council.

  Membership

  Twenty-six representatives of the appellate and trial courts make up the Judicial Council. The chief justice and presiding justice of the Supreme Court act as the chairperson and vice-chairperson, respectively. The chief judge and another judge of the Court of Appeals; the presidents and presidents-elect of the superior, state, juvenile, probate, magistrate, and municipal court councils; and the ten superior court district administrative judges complete the Council’s membership.

  Committees

  The Judicial Council has many duties and performs much of its work through its committees and its staff, the Administrative Office of the Courts. Its committees include: Policy and the Legislature, Budget, Accountability Courts, Domestic Violence, Court Reporting Matters, Judicial Workload Assessment, and Judicial Records Retention.

The next meeting of the Judicial Council of Georgia will be at 9:00 a.m. on Friday, April 12, at the Fernbank Museum of Natural History in Decatur, GA.The agenda can be found here.