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 Revisions to the Rules of Professional Conduct (SJC Rule 3:07)
Comments due by: February 1, 2021
Notice Inviting Comments on Proposed Amendments to Rules 30 and 30A of the Massachusetts Rules of Civil Procedure
Comments due by: January 31, 2021
Notice Inviting Comments on Proposed Amendments to Rule 20(a) of the Massachusetts Rules of Appellate Procedure
Comments due by: December 3, 2020
Notice Inviting Comment on Proposed Amendments to Supreme Judicial Court Rule 4:02, Periodic Registration of Attorneys
Comments due by: October 21, 2020
Notice Inviting Comment on Proposed Amendments to Mass. Rules of Civil Procedure (Rules 3, 5, 6, 10, 11, and 77)
Comments due by: October 9, 2020
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.
Notice of Approval - Suspension of Certain Provisions of Trial Court Rule I: Uniform Summary Process Rules
Effective: October 5, 2020
Amendment to Mass. Rules of Criminal Procedure Rules 12(c)(3)(A)(iii) and 12(d)(3)(A)(iii) and 19
Effective: September 1, 2020
Amendments to Superior Court Rules 61A, 63 and 73
Effective: August 1, 2020
Amendments to Appeals Court Rules and Standing Orders and Repeal of Standing Orders
Effective: July 1, 2020
Amendments to Supreme Judicial Court Rule 1:25
Effective: June 1, 2020
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.