![[photo, Judiciary A-POD, 580 Taylor Ave., Annapolis, Maryland]](/msa/mdmanual/33jud/images/1198-1-07016b.jpg)
The Supreme Court of Maryland Standing Committee on Rules of Practice and Procedure (also known as the Rules Committee), started as an ad hoc committee on rules appointed by the Court of Appeals in 1940. By order of the Court of Appeals, that committee reformed in 1946 as the Court of Appeals Standing Committee on Rules of Practice and Procedure. When the Court of Appeals was renamed the Supreme Court of Maryland in November 2022, the Committee adopted its present name.
Judiciary A-POD, 580 Taylor Ave., Annapolis, Maryland, April 2015. Photo by Diane F. Evartt.
Procedural rules (also known as court rules) guide the litigant, who usually is represented by an attorney, on how to proceed when bringing a legal dispute into a State or federal court in Maryland. These mandatory rules, which have the force of law, establish a uniform process for trying cases to ensure that justice is administered fairly. Maryland Rules are accessible on the web, and in the reference section of Maryland public libraries.
The Committee formerly was at the Judiciary Education and Conference Center, 2011 Park Drive, Annapolis. In September 2019, it moved to its present address.
Appointed by the Supreme Court of Maryland, Committee members serve five-year terms. They include lawyers, judges, and others competent in judicial practice, procedures, or administration. A Senator nominated by the Senate President and a Delegate nominated by the Speaker of the House of Delegates also serve on the Committee (Code Courts & Judicial Proceedings Article, secs. 13-301 through 13-303; Maryland Rule 16-801).
© Copyright Maryland State Archives