Bill Text: HI SR26 | 2010 | Regular Session | Amended


Bill Title: Judicial Appointments; Gender Equality

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 8-0)

Status: (Passed) 2010-04-07 - (S) Report and Resolution Adopted as amended (SD 1). Aye(s) with reservations: none. Noes, 2 (Senator(s) Hemmings, Slom). [SR26 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2010-SR26-Amended.html

 

 

STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3066

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.R. No. 26

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2010

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committee on Judiciary and Government Operations, to which was referred S.R. No. 26 entitled:

 

"SENATE RESOLUTION URGING THE GOVERNOR TO USE AND CONSIDER GENDER EQUALITY WHEN APPOINTING JUDGES AND JUSTICES TO HAWAII COURTS,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to urge Governor Lingle to use and consider gender equality when appointing judges and justices in the future.

 

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Domestic Violence Action Center, Hawaii Women Lawyers, Democratic Party of Hawaii Women's Caucus, Hawaii Women's Coalition, Hawaii Friends of Civil Rights, Hawaii Women's Political Caucus, and one individual.

 

Written testimony presented to the Committee may be reviewed on the Legislature's website.

 

     Your Committee finds that through a series of events, the gender gap in the Hawaii State Judiciary has been increasing.  This gap is most evident in the First Circuit, primarily due to the recent retirements by female Circuit Court Judges Blondin, Wong, Marks, Hifo, Hirai and Radius, as well as the retirement of Intermediate Court of Appeals Judge Watanabe.  In combination with judicial appointments and retentions of fewer women than men, the gender gap is much more pronounced.

 

Your Committee further finds that the current vacancies provide an appropriate opportunity to address this disparity in the courts, for a judiciary in which men and women are equally and adequately represented will ensure public confidence in the legitimacy and impartiality of the justice system.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by making technical amendments for the purposes of consistency and clarity.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary and Government Operations that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.R. No. 26, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.R. No. 26, S.D. 1.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary and Government Operations,

 

 

 

____________________________

BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Chair

 

 

 

 

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