COMPOSITION, CONCURRENCE, AND

SESSIONS OF THE LAW COURT (a) Constitution of the Law Court; Concurrence Required. (1) When sitting as the Law Court to determine questions of law arising in any civil or criminal action or proceeding, the Supreme Judicial Court shall be composed of those Justices then available to sit and qualified to act. When an appeal is in order for conference or oral argument and fewer than 47 three of the Justices are then available and qualified to act, the matter shall stand continued to such time as the Court shall determine. (2) The Court shall hear and determine such questions of law by the concurrence of a majority of the Justices sitting and qualified to act. A qualified Justice may participate in a decision even though not present at oral argument. (b) Sessions of the Law Court. The Supreme Judicial Court sitting as the Law Court shall hold sessions each year at such times and places as shall be determined by the Chief Justice. (c) Decisions of the Law Court. Decisions of the Law Court may be reported by several methods, including a signed opinion, a per curiam opinion, or a memorandum of decision. A memorandum of decision decides an appeal but does not establish precedent and will not be published as an opinion of the Court in the Maine Reporter.