In Re Judicial Qualifications Commission Formal Advisory Opinion No. 241

Summary

The court held that it had authority to review the Judicial Qualifications Commission's formal advisory opinions and that the Commission exceeded its authority by regulating the institutional conduct of the Council of State Court Judges. The court also held that judicial organizations may file amicus briefs, while individual judges are generally barred from doing so except in rare circumstances and with extreme caution. The Commission was directed to reconsider Formal Advisory Opinion No. 241 consistently with these conclusions.