Rule Changes and Invitations to Comment on Proposed Rules and Amendments

The court invites comments on new rules or proposed changes to existing rules and also announces rule changes.

Invitations to Comment

Rule Changes

The following are recent notices of rule changes and the date when each rule change goes into effect. Rule changes are removed from this list after the effective date has passed. Please refer to the Court's online listing of Rules of Court and Standing Orders to view updated rules and dates when rules were amended.

Amendment to the Juvenile Court Rules for the Care and Protection of Children
Effective: August 4, 2025

Amendment to Superior Court Rule 64: Appellate Division
Effective: May 1, 2025

Amendments to Rule 3:07 of the Rules of the Supreme Judicial Court
Effective: June 1, 2025

Amendments to Rules 30 and 77 of the Massachusetts Rules of Civil Procedure
Effective: March 10, 2025

Amendment to Rule 5(C) of the Clients' Security Board Rules
Effective: March 10, 2025

Amendments to Rule 30 (b) (4) of the Massachusetts Rules of Civil Procedure
Effective: February 1, 2025

Amendments to Rules 7, 7A, 7B, 9 and 10 of Trial Court Rule III: Uniform Small Claims Rules
Effective: February 3, 2025

New Rule 49 of the Massachusetts Rules of Criminal Procedure
Effective: March 1, 2025

Amendments to Rule 14 of the Massachusetts Rules of Criminal Procedure
Effective: March 1, 2025

Amendments to the Rules of the Board of Bar Overseers and adoption of new Section 4.24
Effective: December 1, 2024

Amendments to Rule 4:01 of the Rules of the Supreme Judicial Court
Effective: December 1, 2024

A listing of Rules of Court and Standing Orders are available on the court's website. Please note that not all Massachusetts Rules of Court are available online. Efforts have been taken to ensure accuracy in all rules on the court's website, but if there are discrepancies between the electronic versions of the rules found on the website and the official print versions that appear in a volume such as Massachusetts Reports, the print version should be considered authoritative.

Last updated: April 16, 2025

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