A. In addition to the provisions of Sections 30.1 through 30.12 of Title 20 of the Oklahoma Statutes, and in addition to the four permanent divisions established by Section 30.2 of Title 20 of the Oklahoma Statutes, the Court of Civil Appeals shall consist of as many additional divisions as the Supreme Court may deem advisable to convene for prompt disposition of its docket. Each division shall consist of three Judges, at least two of whom shall concur in any decision. In the exercise of its powers granted by Article VII, Section 6 of the Oklahoma Constitution, the Supreme Court shall make temporary assignments of judicial officers, active or retired, and lawyers, having prior to their assignment the qualifications of a district judge, to sit on a division of the Court of Civil Appeals convened under the authority of this act. Each division of the Court of Civil Appeals shall select its presiding Judge. The Supreme Court may prescribe by rule where the division shall sit and how that Court shall conduct its business and practice before it.
B. Each division of the Court of Civil Appeals convened under the authority of this act shall have jurisdiction to determine or otherwise dispose of any case assigned to it by the Supreme Court, and its decisions, when final, shall be neither appealable to the Supreme Court nor be subject to reexamination by another division of the Court of Civil Appeals or by the Judges of that Court sitting en banc. The Supreme Court may recall a case from the Court of Civil Appeals; it may review a decision of the Court of Civil Appeals when a majority of its Justices direct that certiorari be granted. In any case assigned to it by the Supreme Court, the Court of Civil Appeals shall have the power to issue writs of habeas corpus, mandamus, quo warranto, certiorari, and prohibition.
C. The opinions of the Court of Civil Appeals shall be written in the form prescribed by the Supreme Court. No opinion of the Court of Civil Appeals shall be binding or cited as a precedent unless it has been approved by the Supreme Court for publication in the official reporter. The Supreme Court shall prescribe by rule which opinion or decision, if any, of the Court of Civil Appeals shall be published in the unofficial reporter.
D. The jurisdiction, powers, duties and procedures of the Court of Civil Appeals shall be as provided by rules of the Supreme Court unless otherwise provided by statute.
E. No judicial officer, except as otherwise authorized by law, temporarily assigned to sit on the Court of Civil Appeals shall be entitled to additional compensation for judicial service on that Court. Expenses of judicial officers and lawyers assigned to the Court of Civil Appeals incurred in performing their duties shall be reimbursed pursuant to the State Travel Reimbursement Act, Section 500.1 et seq. of Title 74 of the Oklahoma Statutes.
F. The Supreme Court shall prescribe by rule the scope of review it will afford when a petition for certiorari to the Court of Civil Appeals is filed.
Added by Laws 1981, c. 126, § 1, emerg. eff. May 4, 1981. Amended by Laws 1982, c. 336, § 4, emerg. eff. June 2, 1982; Laws 1991, c. 286, § 18, eff. July 1, 1991; Laws 1996, c. 97, § 10, eff. Nov. 1, 1996.