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.
- Proposed Boston Municipal Court Department Standing Order On Voir Dire Protocol
Comments due: July 13, 2018 - Proposed amendment to Superior Court Rule 56 (Conditions of Probation), and proposed repeal of Rules 57 (Term of Probation) and 58 (Term of Orders for Payment)
Comments due: July 13, 2018
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 Trial Court Rule XIV Uniform Rules on Public Access to Court Records: Rule 5: Remote access to court records
Effective: July 1, 2018 - New Superior Court Administrative Directive 18-1: Recording of criminal proceedings
Effective: July 1, 2018 - New Supreme Judicial Court Rule 1:25 Effective: September 1, 2018
- Amendments to Supreme Judicial Court Rule 3:07 Effective: September 1, 2018
- Amendments to Mass. Rules of Civil Procedure, Rules 8.1 and 55.1
Effective: January 1, 2019
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.