• You are here:
  • News & Events
  • News
  • D.C. Superior Court Approves Multiple Rules Amendments
  • Print Page

D.C. Superior Court Approves Multiple Rules Amendments

November 21, 2022

On November 18 the Board of Judges of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia issued a series of promulgation orders approving amendments to Rules of Civil Procedure 5, 6, 37, and 43; Rule of Criminal Procedure 43; Juvenile Proceedings Rules 9 and 43; and Domestic Relations Rule 43.

In Promulgation Order 22-10, amendments to Rule 5(d) clarify that discovery materials must not be filed except in the circumstances specified in the rule. Revised Rule 6 now reflects that District of Columbia Emancipation Day and Juneteenth are legal holidays. Rule 37 subsections (c)(A)–(c)(D) have been corrected to redesignate them as subsections (c)(1)–(c)(4), respectively, to conform with the general restyling of the Superior Court rules. Changes to Rule 43(b) eliminate the requirement that a party seeking to present live testimony from a remote location establish “compelling circumstances.”
 
Promulgation Order 22-11 expands the court’s authority to permit a defendant to appear remotely. The amended Rule of Criminal Procedure 43 also clarifies when a defendant must be physically present, when a defendant may participate remotely, and when a proceeding may occur in a defendant’s absence.

In Promulgation Order 22-12, Juvenile Proceedings Rule 9 has been amended to authorize alternative methods of service if, upon motion, the court makes the appropriate determination. Revised Rule 43 expands the Superior Court’s authority to permit a respondent to appear by video or telephone conferencing.

Finally, Promulgation Order 22-13 states that amended Domestic Relations Rule 43 subsection (b) facilitates remote testimony by eliminating the requirement that a party seeking to present live testimony from a remote location establish “compelling circumstances.”

All of the amendments take effect immediately and govern all succeeding proceedings and insofar is just and practicable in all pending proceedings.

Recent News

D.C. Bar

May 28, 2025

Bar Seeks Candidates for Fall Committee Vacancies

The D.C. Bar Board of Governors is seeking candidates for appointment in the fall to the following standing committees: Communities, Continuing Legal Education, Governance, Innovations in Legal Practice, Judicial Evaluation, Lawyer Assistance, Leadership Development, and Pro Bono.

Well-Being Summit

May 27, 2025

D.C. Bar Well-Being Summit Addresses Job Loss and Other Challenges

By John Murph

Coping with unexpected loss and cultivating resilience were major focal points of the D.C. Bar’s annual Well-Being Summit on May 21, co-presented by the Lawyer Well-Being Community and Lawyer Assistance Program (LAP) under the theme “Meeting You Where You Are.”

DC Superior Court

May 19, 2025

JNC Announces Superior Court Vacancy

The D.C. Judicial Nomination Commission (JNC) is inviting qualified individuals to apply for a vacancy on the Superior Court of the District of Columbia resulting from the retirement of Judge Heidi M. Pasichow, effective June 27, 2025.

Skyline