Article VII
Sec. 2: The supreme court shall consist of
one chief justice and associate justices, to be chosen by the electors of the state at the regular biennial spring electionsjustices who shall, annually, appoint one of their number chief justice of the court. The term of office of the justices, other than those appointed to fill an unexpired term, shall be eight years,;and not more than two justices shall go out of office at the same time.The term of office shall be prescribed by law.No person shall be eligible to such appointment unless such person is, and for ten or more years shall have been, admitted to practice law in courts of record of this state. When a vacancy occurs in the office of a present or future justice of the supreme court, or the term of such justice shall expire, the office shall be filled by appointment by the governor upon nomination or nominations by the judiciary commission. The judiciary commission shall consist of a justice of the supreme court elected by the justices of that court, a circuit judge elected by the judges of the circuit courts, a probate judge elected by the judges of the probate courts, three electors of this state not licensed to practice law therein appointed by the governor, and three members of the bar of this state appointed by the commissioners of the state bar of Michigan. The term of office of the members of the judiciary commission, other than members elected or appointed to fill an unexpired term, shall be three years, except that of the members first appointed by the governor and of the members first appointed by the commissioners of the state bar of Michigan, one of each shall be appointed for one year and one of each for two years. No more than two in each of the groups appointed by the governor and the commissioners of the state bar of Michigan shall belong to the same political party, and no member of said groups shall hold any other political office. The term of office of the first members of the judiciary commission shall commence as of the effective date hereof. No member of the judiciary commission shall be eligible for election or appointment for two successive terms. Should the office of any member of the judiciary commission remain unfilled for sixty days after a vacancy therein occurs, said office shall be filled by appointment by the judiciary commission. Members of the judiciary commission shall serve without compensation except as to actual expenses. The commission shall from its membership elect a chairman and a secretary. The provisions of section 20 of article VII of this constitution shall not apply to the supreme court.
