WHEREAS, Article I, Section 11 of the Pennsylvania Constitution provides, “All courts shall be open. . .[and litigants] shall have remedy by due course of law, and right and justice administered without sale, denial or delay;” and

WHEREAS, the Supreme Court, the Commonwealth Court, and the Superior Court maintain filing offices and regularly conduct sessions in Philadelphia, Harrisburg, and Pittsburgh, providing convenience and accessibility to residents of all parts of the Commonwealth; and

WHEREAS, House Bill 2066, Printer's Number 2893 (“H.B. 2066”) would close all local offices and consolidate the operations of the Supreme Court, the Commonwealth Court, and the Superior Court into the Pennsylvania Judicial Center in Harrisburg; and

WHEREAS, Pennsylvania is a large state with 67 counties and limiting the appellate courts to one geographic area would be an injustice to litigants; and

WHEREAS, the abolition of all appellate court sessions and filing offices outside of Harrisburg would (i) impede public access to our courts by requiring litigants to travel long distances across the Commonwealth and restrict in-person filing of documents; and (ii) significantly increase the cost of litigation for many litigants by forcing them to pay extra counsel fees plus travel expenses; and

WHEREAS, the abolition of appellate court sessions in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh would have a significant adverse effect on low-income people, people with disabilities, people with child care needs, or anyone else who cannot readily travel long distances to attend an appellate court hearing.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Philadelphia Bar Association opposes the enactment of House Bill 2066, Printer's Number 2893 and similar legislation that would consolidate operations of the Supreme Court, the Commonwealth Court, and the Superior Court into the Pennsylvania Judicial Center in Harrisburg, and abolish sessions of the appellate courts in Philadelphia and Harrisburg;

AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Board of Governors of the Philadelphia Bar Association authorizes the Chancellor or the Chancellor’s designee(s) to communicate the position of this Association to the members of the General Assembly of Pennsylvania, the Governor of Pennsylvania, the legal community, the media, and the public, and to take such other action in furtherance of this resolution as may be deemed necessary.

PHILADELPHIA BAR ASSOCIATION
BOARD OF GOVERNORS
Adopted: May 26, 2022