The Legislature shall divide the State into an appropriate number of circuit court districts and chancery court districts.

The Legislature shall, by statute, establish certain criteria by which the number of judges in each district shall be determined, such criteria to be based on population, the number of cases filed and other appropriate data.

Following the 1980 Federal Decennial Census and following each federal decennial census thereafter, the Legislature shall redistrict the circuit and chancery court districts. Should the Legislature fail to redistrict the circuit or chancery court districts by December 31 of the fifth year following the 1980 Federal Decennial Census or by December 31 of the fifth year following any federal decennial census thereafter, the Supreme Court shall, by order, redistrict such circuit or chancery court districts. Any order by the Supreme Court which redistricts the circuit or chancery court districts shall become effective at a date to be set therein and shall, without alteration of the composition of the districts established in such order, be enacted by the next succeeding session of the Legislature.

The circuit and chancery court districts established by the Legislature prior to the approval of this amendment shall remain in force and effect until such time as they are redistricted under the provisions of this amendment.

NOTE: The 1981 amendment to Section 152 of Article 6 of the Constitution of 1890 was proposed by Laws, 1981, ch. 708 (House Concurrent Resolution No. 23 of the 1981 regular session of the Legislature) and, upon ratification by the electorate on November 2, 1982, was inserted as a part of the Constitution by proclamation of the Secretary of State on January 28, 1983.

The 1992 amendment of Section 152 in Article 6 of the Mississippi Constitution of 1890, was proposed by Laws, 1992, ch. 720 (Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 526), and upon ratification by the electorate on November 3, 1992, was inserted as part of the Constitution by proclamation of the Secretary of State on December 8, 1992.

SOURCES: 1832 art IV § 13; 1869 art VI § 13; Laws, 1981, ch. 708; Laws, 1992, ch. 720, eff December 8, 1992.