Improvement of Appellate Justice (From Improvement of the Administration of Justice, P 203-218, 1981, Fannie J Klein, ed. - See NCJ-93134)

• NCJ Number: 93142
• Author(s): J D Cameron
• Date Published: 1981
• Length: 16 pages
• Sale Source: American Bar Association
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

Changes in appellate procedures during the 1970's have been particularly notable in five areas: the development of central staff, memorandum decisions, the curtailment of oral argument, the announcement of decisions from the bench immediately after argument, and the use of prehearing conferences.

Abstract

Central staffs of attorneys have been established with responsibility to the whole appellate court. Their usual duties are review of papers and preparation of various memoranda. The use of memorandum decisions and the curtailment of oral argument resulted from the large number of frivolous and nonprecedent-creating decision during the 1970's. In some United States circuit courts of appeal, decisions are announced from the bench and are available in writing only by way of a transcript. Prehearing conferences are also being used to settle appeals before argument or to narrow the issues at an early stage. In the next 10 years, additional procedural reforms will emphasize finality and focus on limiting the number of appeals. Sixty-one annotated references are listed.