North Carolina
North Carolina’s highest court is the Supreme Court of North Carolina. The court has six associate justices and one chief justice. The chief justice is chosen through election. (Source: North Carolina Constitution)
Judicial Selection
Justices on the Supreme Court of North Carolina are selected through a partisan election, where multiple candidates may vie for the seat. The elected justice serves an eight-year term. Justices may seek additional terms through partisan elections. When a seat opens in the middle of a justice’s term, the governor appoints a candidate to fill the vacancy. The appointed justice holds office until North Carolina’s next general election more than 60 days after the vacancy occurred. The elected justice serves the remainder of the unexpired term. There are no term limits. The mandatory retirement age is 72.
State Constitution
North Carolina has had three state constitutions adopted between 1776 and 1970. As of January 1, 2024, it had 41 amendments. (Source: John Dinan, 2024)
Filters
South Carolina’s Supreme Court Backtracks on Reproductive Rights
Status of Partisan Gerrymandering Litigation in State Courts: A Mid-Year Roundup
Ahead of 2024, voters have increasingly turned to state courts to challenge gerrymandered districts.
Protecting Against Extreme Punishments
The Neglected State Constitutional Protections Against Extreme Punishments
Two new law review articles explore the origins of antipunishment clauses in Pennsylvania and North Carolina.
The Supreme Court and the States
U.S. Supreme Court Affirms State Courts’ Role in Election Cases
Utah Supreme Court to Hear Gerrymandering Challenge
Reforms Making It Easier to Sue Child Abusers Are Running into Due Process Concerns
The Colorado Supreme Court is the latest to consider whether retroactive extensions of statutes of limitations on child sexual abuse claims violate the state constitution.