{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/17.1-303.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/17.1-303.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/17.1-303.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/17.1-303.html"}],"law_id":54219,"edition_id":1,"section_id":54219,"structure_id":13211,"section_number":"17.1-303","catch_line":"Election of successor justice before date of vacancy","history":"1991, c. 31, \u00a7 17-93.1; 1998, c. 872; 2004, c. 452; 2018, c. 578.","full_text":"Whenever a vacancy occurs or exists in the office of a justice of the Supreme Court while the General Assembly is in session, or whenever the term of office of a justice of the Supreme Court will expire or the office will be vacated at a date certain between the adjournment of the General Assembly and the commencement of the next session of the General Assembly, a successor may be elected at any time during a session preceding the date of such vacancy, by the vote of a majority of the members elected to each house of the General Assembly, for a full term and, upon qualification, the successor shall enter at once upon the discharge of the duties of the office; however, such successor shall not qualify prior to the predecessor leaving office. No person shall be elected or reelected to a subsequent term under this section until he has submitted to a criminal history record search and submitted to a search of the central registry maintained pursuant to \u00a7 63.2-1515 for any founded complaint of child abuse or neglect and reports of such searches have been received by the Chairmen of the House and Senate Committees for Courts of Justice. If the person has not met the requirement of filing in the preceding calendar year a disclosure form prescribed in \u00a7 2.2-3117 or 30-111, he shall also provide a written statement of economic interests on the disclosure form prescribed in \u00a7 2.2-3117 to the Chairmen of the House and Senate Committees for Courts of Justice.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":199102,"text":"Whenever a vacancy occurs or exists in the office of a justice of the Supreme Court while the General Assembly is in session, or whenever the term of office of a justice of the Supreme Court will expire or the office will be vacated at a date certain between the adjournment of the General Assembly and the commencement of the next session of the General Assembly, a successor may be elected at any time during a session preceding the date of such vacancy, by the vote of a majority of the members elected to each house of the General Assembly, for a full term and, upon qualification, the successor shall enter at once upon the discharge of the duties of the office; however, such successor shall not qualify prior to the predecessor leaving office. No person shall be elected or reelected to a subsequent term under this section until he has submitted to a criminal history record search and submitted to a search of the central registry maintained pursuant to \u00a7 63.2-1515 for any founded complaint of child abuse or neglect and reports of such searches have been received by the Chairmen of the House and Senate Committees for Courts of Justice. If the person has not met the requirement of filing in the preceding calendar year a disclosure form prescribed in \u00a7 2.2-3117 or 30-111, he shall also provide a written statement of economic interests on the disclosure form prescribed in \u00a7 2.2-3117 to the Chairmen of the House and Senate Committees for Courts of Justice.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":13211,"edition_id":1,"name":"Composition, Jurisdiction, etc","identifier":"1","label":"article","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13210,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:27","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:27","permalink":{"id":163483,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13211,"identifier":"1","token":"17.1\/3\/1","url":"\/17.1\/3\/1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":13210,"edition_id":1,"name":"Supreme Court","identifier":"3","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12766,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:27","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:27","permalink":{"id":163481,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13210,"identifier":"3","token":"17.1\/3","url":"\/17.1\/3\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12766,"edition_id":1,"name":"Courts of Record","identifier":"17.1","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:52","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:52","permalink":{"id":162799,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12766,"identifier":"17.1","token":"17.1","url":"\/17.1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":82628,"structure_id":13211,"section_number":"17.1-300","catch_line":"Composition of Court; quorum; Chief Justice","url":"\/17.1-300\/","token":"17.1\/3\/1\/17.1-300","metadata":false},{"id":72959,"structure_id":13211,"section_number":"17.1-301","catch_line":"Presiding justice when Chief Justice absent","url":"\/17.1-301\/","token":"17.1\/3\/1\/17.1-301","metadata":false},{"id":71338,"structure_id":13211,"section_number":"17.1-302","catch_line":"Senior justice","url":"\/17.1-302\/","token":"17.1\/3\/1\/17.1-302","metadata":false},{"id":54219,"structure_id":13211,"section_number":"17.1-303","catch_line":"Election of successor justice before date of vacancy","url":"\/17.1-303\/","token":"17.1\/3\/1\/17.1-303","metadata":false},{"id":83815,"structure_id":13211,"section_number":"17.1-304","catch_line":"Terms and sessions, state of emergency","url":"\/17.1-304\/","token":"17.1\/3\/1\/17.1-304","metadata":false},{"id":83662,"structure_id":13211,"section_number":"17.1-305","catch_line":"Special sessions","url":"\/17.1-305\/","token":"17.1\/3\/1\/17.1-305","metadata":false},{"id":80271,"structure_id":13211,"section_number":"17.1-306","catch_line":"What may be tried at special session; effect of decisions","url":"\/17.1-306\/","token":"17.1\/3\/1\/17.1-306","metadata":false},{"id":72709,"structure_id":13211,"section_number":"17.1-307","catch_line":"Information and recommendations as to other courts","url":"\/17.1-307\/","token":"17.1\/3\/1\/17.1-307","metadata":false},{"id":60503,"structure_id":13211,"section_number":"17.1-308","catch_line":"Court may sit and render final judgment en banc or in divisions; when decision becomes judgment of Court; majority must concur in declaring law unconstitutional; rehearings","url":"\/17.1-308\/","token":"17.1\/3\/1\/17.1-308","metadata":false},{"id":67392,"structure_id":13211,"section_number":"17.1-309","catch_line":"Jurisdiction of writs of mandamus and prohibition","url":"\/17.1-309\/","token":"17.1\/3\/1\/17.1-309","metadata":false},{"id":70980,"structure_id":13211,"section_number":"17.1-310","catch_line":"Habeas corpus, appeals, writs of error and supersedeas","url":"\/17.1-310\/","token":"17.1\/3\/1\/17.1-310","metadata":false},{"id":57165,"structure_id":13211,"section_number":"17.1-311","catch_line":"Where prohibition and mandamus issued and tried","url":"\/17.1-311\/","token":"17.1\/3\/1\/17.1-311","metadata":false},{"id":73210,"structure_id":13211,"section_number":"17.1-312","catch_line":"Where criminal jurisdiction exercised","url":"\/17.1-312\/","token":"17.1\/3\/1\/17.1-312","metadata":false},{"id":80630,"structure_id":13211,"section_number":"17.1-313","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/17.1-313\/","token":"17.1\/3\/1\/17.1-313","metadata":false},{"id":81866,"structure_id":13211,"section_number":"17.1-314","catch_line":"Executive Secretary","url":"\/17.1-314\/","token":"17.1\/3\/1\/17.1-314","metadata":false},{"id":58074,"structure_id":13211,"section_number":"17.1-315","catch_line":"Duties of Executive Secretary","url":"\/17.1-315\/","token":"17.1\/3\/1\/17.1-315","metadata":false},{"id":86938,"structure_id":13211,"section_number":"17.1-316","catch_line":"Printing and binding reports of Supreme Court","url":"\/17.1-316\/","token":"17.1\/3\/1\/17.1-316","metadata":false},{"id":73765,"structure_id":13211,"section_number":"17.1-317","catch_line":"Printing and distribution of advance sheets of such reports","url":"\/17.1-317\/","token":"17.1\/3\/1\/17.1-317","metadata":false},{"id":83585,"structure_id":13211,"section_number":"17.1-318","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/17.1-318\/","token":"17.1\/3\/1\/17.1-318","metadata":false},{"id":83279,"structure_id":13211,"section_number":"17.1-319","catch_line":"Custody and distribution of reports of Supreme Court; Court of Appeals","url":"\/17.1-319\/","token":"17.1\/3\/1\/17.1-319","metadata":false},{"id":79395,"structure_id":13211,"section_number":"17.1-320","catch_line":"Furnishing reports to law libraries destroyed by fire","url":"\/17.1-320\/","token":"17.1\/3\/1\/17.1-320","metadata":false},{"id":54358,"structure_id":13211,"section_number":"17.1-321","catch_line":"Reporter of Court; his appointment and salary","url":"\/17.1-321\/","token":"17.1\/3\/1\/17.1-321","metadata":false},{"id":60961,"structure_id":13211,"section_number":"17.1-322","catch_line":"Duties","url":"\/17.1-322\/","token":"17.1\/3\/1\/17.1-322","metadata":false},{"id":67635,"structure_id":13211,"section_number":"17.1-323","catch_line":"Clerk to deliver opinions to Reporter","url":"\/17.1-323\/","token":"17.1\/3\/1\/17.1-323","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":71338,"structure_id":13211,"section_number":"17.1-302","catch_line":"Senior justice","url":"\/17.1-302\/","token":"17.1\/3\/1\/17.1-302","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":83815,"structure_id":13211,"section_number":"17.1-304","catch_line":"Terms and sessions, state of emergency","url":"\/17.1-304\/","token":"17.1\/3\/1\/17.1-304","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/17.1-303\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 1991. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 31 of that year\u2019s edition of \u201cActs of Assembly,\u201d the annual state publication listing all changes made to the Code of Virginia in that year. Unfortunately, the 1991 \u201cActs\u201d aren\u2019t available online. It has been modified 3 times. Those modifications are cataloged by \u201cThe Acts of Assembly,\u201d a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly\u2019s website will be linked accordingly. Those modifications are as follows: in 1998, chapter 872<\/a>; in 2004, chapter 452<\/a>; in 2018, chapter 578<\/a>.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":[{"id":59503,"section_number":"2.2-3117","catch_line":"Disclosure form","order_by":null,"url":"\/2.2-3117\/"},{"id":76882,"section_number":"30-111","catch_line":"Disclosure form","order_by":null,"url":"\/30-111\/"},{"id":67092,"section_number":"63.2-1515","catch_line":"Central registry; disclosure of information","order_by":null,"url":"\/63.2-1515\/"}],"permalink":{"id":163497,"object_type":"law","relational_id":54219,"identifier":"17.1-303","token":"17.1\/3\/1\/17.1-303","url":"\/17.1-303\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/17.1-303\/","token":"17.1\/3\/1\/17.1-303","dublin_core":{"Title":"Election of successor justice before date of vacancy","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 17.1-303","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

Whenever a vacancy occurs or exists in the office of a justice of the Supreme Court<\/span> while the General Assembly is in session, or whenever the term of office of a justice of the Supreme Court<\/span> will expire or the office will be vacated at a date certain between the adjournment of the General Assembly and the commencement of the next session of the General Assembly, a successor may be elected at any time during a session preceding the date of such vacancy, by the vote of a majority of the members elected to each house of the General Assembly, for a full term and, upon qualification, the successor shall enter at once upon the discharge of the duties of the office; however, such successor shall not qualify prior to the predecessor leaving office. No person shall be elected or reelected to a subsequent term under this section until he has submitted to a criminal history record search and submitted to a search of the central registry maintained pursuant to \u00a7 63.2-1515<\/a> for any founded complaint of child abuse or neglect and reports of such searches have been received by the Chairmen of the House and Senate Committees for Courts<\/span> of Justice. If the person has not met the requirement of filing in the preceding calendar year a disclosure form prescribed in \u00a7 2.2-3117<\/a> or 30-111<\/a>, he shall also provide a written statement of economic interests on the disclosure form prescribed in \u00a7 2.2-3117<\/a> to the Chairmen of the House and Senate Committees for Courts<\/span> of Justice.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nELECTION OF SUCCESSOR JUSTICE BEFORE DATE OF VACANCY (\u00a7 17.1-303)\n\nWhenever a vacancy occurs or exists in the office of a justice of the Supreme\nCourt while the General Assembly is in session, or whenever the term of office\nof a justice of the Supreme Court will expire or the office will be vacated at a\ndate certain between the adjournment of the General Assembly and the\ncommencement of the next session of the General Assembly, a successor may be\nelected at any time during a session preceding the date of such vacancy, by the\nvote of a majority of the members elected to each house of the General Assembly,\nfor a full term and, upon qualification, the successor shall enter at once upon\nthe discharge of the duties of the office; however, such successor shall not\nqualify prior to the predecessor leaving office. No person shall be elected or\nreelected to a subsequent term under this section until he has submitted to a\ncriminal history record search and submitted to a search of the central registry\nmaintained pursuant to \u00a7 63.2-1515 for any founded complaint of child abuse or\nneglect and reports of such searches have been received by the Chairmen of the\nHouse and Senate Committees for Courts of Justice. If the person has not met the\nrequirement of filing in the preceding calendar year a disclosure form\nprescribed in \u00a7 2.2-3117 or 30-111, he shall also provide a written statement\nof economic interests on the disclosure form prescribed in \u00a7 2.2-3117 to the\nChairmen of the House and Senate Committees for Courts of Justice.\n\nHISTORY: 1991, c. 31, \u00a7 17-93.1; 1998, c. 872; 2004, c. 452; 2018, c. 578.","edition":{"id":1,"name":"2025","slug":"2025","date_created":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","date_modified":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","current":1,"order_by":1,"last_import":null}}