Alaska's Constitution — Selecting Judges Based On Merit and Judicial Retention Elections is a system of selecting judges and retaining them in office. Under this system, judges are appointed by the Governor from a list of candidates submitted by the Commission on Judicial Conduct. The Commission is composed of five members, including three attorneys and two non-lawyers, who review the qualifications of the candidates and make recommendations to the Governor. The Governor then appoints a judge from the list. The judge serves a six-year term, after which the voters are asked to approve or reject his or her retention in office. If the judge is retained, he or she serves for another six-year term. The judge may be removed from office for cause, by a two-thirds vote of the Alaska Supreme Court. The Constitution — Selecting Judges Based On Merit and Judicial Retention Elections system is intended to ensure that qualified judges are appointed and retained in office, and that the judiciary is accountable to the public. The system encourages judicial independence, as judges can be removed only for cause and are not subject to frequent elections.
Alaska's Constitution — Selecting Judges Based On Merit and Judicial Retention Elections is a system of selecting judges and retaining them in office. Under this system, judges are appointed by the Governor from a list of candidates submitted by the Commission on Judicial Conduct. The Commission is composed of five members, including three attorneys and two non-lawyers, who review the qualifications of the candidates and make recommendations to the Governor. The Governor then appoints a judge from the list. The judge serves a six-year term, after which the voters are asked to approve or reject his or her retention in office. If the judge is retained, he or she serves for another six-year term. The judge may be removed from office for cause, by a two-thirds vote of the Alaska Supreme Court. The Constitution — Selecting Judges Based On Merit and Judicial Retention Elections system is intended to ensure that qualified judges are appointed and retained in office, and that the judiciary is accountable to the public. The system encourages judicial independence, as judges can be removed only for cause and are not subject to frequent elections.
