Invitations to Comment
The court invites comments on the following new rules or proposed changes to existing rules. Invitations to comment that have expired are removed from the list.
Notice Inviting Comment on Proposed Amendments to Superior Court Rule 9D
Comments due by: January 31, 2022
Notice Inviting Comments on Proposed Amendments to Rule 19 (d)(1)(A) and (d)(2)(A) of the Massachusetts Rules of Appellate Procedure
Comments due by: November 29, 2021
Notice Inviting Comments on Proposed Amendments to the Rules of Professional Conduct (SJC Rule 3:07)
Comment period extended to: November 22, 2021
Notice Inviting Comments on Proposed Amendments to Rule 6 of the Massachusetts Rules of Appellate Procedure
Comments due by: October 1, 2021
Notice Inviting Comments on Proposed Amendments to Rule 5 of the Massachusetts Rules of Criminal Procedure
Comments due by: October 1, 2021
Notice Inviting Comments on Proposed Amendments to Supreme Judicial Court Rule 1:08
Comments due by: September 24, 2021
Notice Inviting Comment on Proposed Juvenile Court Rules for First Offense Determinations and Hearings Held Pursuant to Commonwealth v. Wallace W., 482 Mass. 789 (2019)
Comments due by: September 24, 2021
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.
Amendments to Rule 51 of the Massachusetts Rules of Civil Procedure
Effective: March 1, 2022
Juvenile Court Standing Order 5-21: Return of custody in care and protection proceedings
Effective: December 30, 2021
Juvenile Court Standing Order 5-21: Return of Custody in Care and Protection Proceedings, originally scheduled to take effect on November 22, 2021, will now take effect on December 30, 2021. This new standing order provides a uniform practice on the issuance and oversight of orders granted by the Juvenile Court returning custody of a child to a parent, custodian, or guardian in a care and protection proceeding.
Boston Municipal Court Order of Recission of Orders related to Boston Municipal Court Community Response Session
Effective: November 19, 2021
Probate and Family Court Standing Order 2-2021: Interdivisional case transfers and interdivisional case assignments for hearing purposes only
Effective: November 1, 2021
Amendments to Rules 3,5,6,10,11 and 77 of the Massachusetts Rules of Civil Procedure
Effective: September 1, 2021
Amendments to Rules 1,19, 20, and 27.1 of the Massachusetts Rules of Appellate Procedure
Effective: September 1, 2021
Amendments to Superior Court Rules 9C and 30B, New Rule 74, and Repeal of Rules 76 and 77
Effective: The repeal of Rules 76 and 77 is effective immediately. The amendments to Rules 9C, 30B and new Rule 74 are effective September 1, 2021.
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.