SB11 Alabama 2017 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Dick Brewbaker

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2017

Title

Judicial Inquiry Commission and Court of the Judiciary, abolished, const. amend.

Summary

SB11 would abolish the Judicial Inquiry Commission and the Court of the Judiciary and remove their references from Alabama's constitution through a statewide constitutional amendment.

What This Bill Does

If enacted, the bill repeals the constitutional provisions that create the Judicial Inquiry Commission and the Court of the Judiciary (Sections 156-158) and removes references to them from Section 159. It would also modify the judge disqualification rule in Section 159 to include a ground based on a pending indictment or felony information, or a complaint filed by the Judicial Inquiry Commission with the Court of the Judiciary. The change requires a statewide vote to approve the amendment, and the ballot would describe the measure as abolishing the Judicial Inquiry Commission and the Court of the Judiciary.

Who It Affects

• Judges in Alabama would lose the formal complaint and oversight pathway provided by the Judicial Inquiry Commission and Court of the Judiciary, with changes to the disqualification rule guided by the amended Section 159.
• Voters in Alabama would participate in a statewide election to decide whether to approve the amendment abolishing the Judicial Inquiry Commission and the Court of the Judiciary.

Key Provisions

• Repeal Sections 156 and 157 (as added by Amendment 328, and amended by Amendment 581) and Section 158 (6.18A) to abolish the Judicial Inquiry Commission and the Court of the Judiciary.
• Delete references to the Judicial Inquiry Commission and the Court of the Judiciary from Section 159 (6.19) of the Constitution.
• Amend Section 159 to disqualify a judge from acting if there is (1) a pending felony indictment or information, or (2) a complaint filed by the Judicial Inquiry Commission with the Court of the Judiciary (as described in the bill’s text).
• Hold a statewide election to approve the amendment, with the ballot described as proposing to abolish the Judicial Inquiry Commission and the Court of the Judiciary, and requiring a majority of qualified electors to approve.
• Ballot language specified: ‘Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, to abolish the Judicial Inquiry Commission and the Court of the Judiciary.’

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 24, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Constitutional Amendments