The Supreme Court of Alabama is the highest State Court in Alabama. The Supreme Court is composed of a Chief Justice and eight Associate Justices. All justices on the Alabama Supreme Court are elected for six year terms. The Court is located at Montgomery.
The Supreme Court has both judicial and administrative responsibilities. The Supreme Court has authority to review decisions rendered by the lower courts in the state. The Alabama Supreme Court has exclusive jurisdiction over all appeals where the amount in controversy exceeds $50,000. It also has authority to determine certain legal matters over which no other court has jurisdiction and to issue such orders necessary to carry out its general superintendence over the courts in Alabama. The Supreme Court of Alabama also receives appeals from the Alabama Public Service Commission.
The administrative head of the state’s judicial system is the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Alabama. The Supreme Court may make rules governing administration, practice, and procedure in all the courts of Alabama. Under this authority, the Supreme Court has adopted rules of practice and procedure and judicial administration to eliminate many of the technicalities which cause delay in the trial courts and unnecessary reversals in the appellate courts.
The Supreme Court has original jurisdiction to issue such remedial writs or orders necessary for its general supervision and control of courts of inferior jurisdiction. In addition, the Supreme Court has original jurisdiction to answer questions of state law certified by a court of the United States.
