(a) The chief judge of a circuit may designate and assign one or more district judges within the circuit to sit upon the court of appeals or a division thereof whenever the business of that court so requires. Such designations or assignments shall be in conformity with the rules or orders of the court of appeals of the circuit.
(b) The chief judge of a circuit may, in the public interest, designate and assign temporarily any district judge of the circuit to hold a district court in any district within the circuit.
(c) The chief judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit may, upon presentation of a certificate of necessity by the chief judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia pursuant to section 11–908(c) of the District of Columbia Code, designate and assign temporarily any district judge of the circuit to serve as a judge of such Superior Court, if such assignment (1) is approved by the Attorney General of the United States following a determination by him to the effect that such assignment is necessary to meet the ends of justice, and (2) is approved by the chief judge of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia.
(d) The Chief Justice of the United States may designate and assign temporarily a district judge of one circuit for service in another circuit, either in a district court or court of appeals, upon presentation of a certificate of necessity by the chief judge or circuit justice of the circuit wherein the need arises.
(e) The Chief Justice of the United States may designate and assign temporarily any district judge to serve as a judge of the Court of International Trade upon presentation to him of a certificate of necessity by the chief judge of the court.
(June 25, 1948, ch. 646,
Based on title 28, U.S.C., 1940 ed., §§17, 21 and 216 (Mar. 3, 1911, ch. 231, §§13, 17, 120,
Section consolidates and simplifies all provisions of sections 17, 21 and 216 of title 28, U.S.C., 1940 ed., relating to designation and assignment of district judges.
Term "chief judge" was substituted for "senior circuit judge." (See Reviser's Note under section 136 of this title.)
Sections 17 and 21 of title 28, U.S.C., 1940 ed., were inconsistent insofar as the words "or in his absence, the circuit judges thereof," appearing in said section 17 were not in section 21, and the words "senior circuit judge then present in the circuit," appearing in section 21 were not in section 17. The revised section omits all such words and leaves designation of assignment to the chief judge of the circuit. If the chief judge is unable to perform his duties they devolve, under section 45 of this title, upon the circuit judge next in seniority of commission.
The provision of said section 17, that designation of a district judge to another circuit should be from an adjacent circuit if practicable, was omitted as an unnecessary restriction on the discretion of the Chief Justice.
Section 19 of title 28, U.S.C., 1940 ed., is omitted as unnecessary. It authorized the Chief Justice of the United States to designate and assign any district judge to a district upon receiving a certificate from the clerk of the district that all circuit judges and the circuit justice were absent from the circuit, or were unable to appoint a substitute judge for the district,or where the district judge actually designated was disabled or neglected to hold court.
For omission of reference in said section 17 to senior Associate Justice, see reviser's note under section 291 of this title.
Reference in said section 17 to retired judges were omitted as covered by section 294 of this title.
Other provisions of said section 17 of title 28, U.S.C., 1940 ed., are incorporated in sections 291, 295, and 296 of this title. Other provisions of said section 216 of such title are incorporated in sections 45 and 47 of this title.
Words "either in a district court or court of appeals" were inserted in subsection (c) as suggested by Hon. Learned Hand, Senior Circuit Judge of the Second Circuit. The revised section permits a district judge to be assigned directly to the circuit court of appeals of another circuit. Under existing law it has been assumed that he must be assigned to serve as a district judge on the other circuit and then designated to serve on the circuit court of appeals by that court in which his services are required.
Many changes were made in phraseology.
1982-Subsec. (e).
1980-Subsec. (e).
1978-Subsecs. (b), (d).
1970-Subsecs. (c) to (e).
1958-Subsecs. (a) to (c).
Subsec. (d).
Subsec. (e).
Subsec. (f).
1956-Subsec. (e). Act July 9, 1956, added subsec. (e).
Subsec. (f). Act July 14, 1956, added subsec. (f).
1954-Subsec. (d). Act Sept. 3, 1954, struck out "United States" from name of Court of Claims.
1953-Subsec. (d). Act July 28, 1953, added subsec. (d).
Amendment by
Amendment by
Amendment by
Amendment by
Amendment by act July 14, 1956, not to be construed as limiting or altering the jurisdiction heretofore conferred upon the Customs Court [now United States Court of International Trade], see section 4 of act July 14, 1956, set out as a note under section 251 of this title.