The Constitution of the State of Connecticut

SEC. 1. The judicial power of the state shall be vested in a supreme court, a superior court, and such lower courts as the general assembly shall, from time to time, ordain and establish. The powers and jurisdiction of these courts shall be defined by law.

(Sec. 1 amended in 1982. See Art. XX. Sec. 1 of Amendments to the Constitution of the State of Connecticut.)

SEC. 2. The judges of the supreme court and of the superior court shall, upon nomination by the governor, be appointed by the general assembly in such manner as shall by law be prescribed. They shall hold their offices for the term of eight years, but may be removed by impeachment. The governor shall also remove them on the address of two-thirds of each house of the general assembly.

(See Art. XI of Amendments to the Constitution of the State of Connecticut.)
(Sec. 2 amended in 1982. See Art. XX, Sec. 2 of Amendments to the Constitution of the State of Connecticut.)

SEC. 3. Judges of the lower courts shall, upon nomination by the governor, be appointed by the general assembly in such manner as shall by law be prescribed, for terms of four years.

SEC. 4. Judges of probate shall be elected by the electors residing in their respective districts on the Tuesday after the first Monday of November, 1966, and quadrennially thereafter, and shall hold office for four years from and after the Wednesday after the first Monday of the next succeeding January.

SEC. 5. Justices of the peace for the several towns in the state shall be elected by the electors in such towns; and the time and manner of their election, the number for each town, the period for which they shall hold their offices and their jurisdiction shall be prescribed by law.

(Sec. 5 repealed in 1974. See Art. VIII, Sec. 1 of Amendments to the Constitution of the State of Connecticut.)

SEC. 6. No judge or justice of the peace shall be eligible to hold his office after he shall arrive at the age of seventy years, except that a chief justice or judge of the supreme court, a judge of the superior court, or a judge of the court of common pleas, who has attained the age of seventy years and has become a state referee may exercise, as shall be prescribed by law, the powers of the superior court or court of common pleas on matters referred to him as a state referee.

(Sec. 6 amended in 1974. See Art. VIII, Sec. 2 of Amendments to the Constitution of the State of Connecticut.)

*(Art. Fifth amended in 1976. See Art. XI of Amendments to the Constitution of the State of Connecticut.)

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Amendments To The Constitution Of The State Of Connecticut