Section 8: Advisory committee on personnel standards
Section 8. There shall be an advisory committee on personnel standards. The membership of the committee shall consist of the following persons: the chief justice of the trial court or his designee; the chief justices of the trial court departments, or their designees; the court administrator or his designee, who shall serve as chair of the committee; the commissioner of probation; and a clerk of the superior court, a clerk of the district court and a register of probate who shall be appointed by the chief justice of the trial court.
The committee shall advise the court administrator who shall establish and promulgate standards for the appointment, performance, promotion, continuing education and removal of all personnel within the trial court, except judges, clerks and registers of probate, and shall furnish copies of such standards to all divisions or places for holding sessions within the department of the trial court.
Any appointment that is governed by standards promulgated under the provisions of this section shall forthwith be certified in writing for compliance with such standards to the court administrator. The court administrator shall have the power to reject any such appointment within 14 days after receipt of the certification of compliance by the appointing authority but such power to reject any such appointment shall be limited to non-compliance with the standards for appointment.
Any appointment made by a joint authority shall require a majority of such authority, as provided by section 6 of chapter 4.
Subject to the terms of applicable collective bargaining agreements, any officer or employee whose appointment is subject to the provisions of this section may be removed by the appointing authority, in accordance with the standards promulgated by the committee; provided, however, that any such removal is not for arbitrary or capricious reasons and, if the employee so requests, is approved by the Committee. Every removal of an officer or employee whose appointment was subject to the provisions of this section shall be reviewed by the committee, and no such removal shall be final until approved by the committee. If any such officer or employee has served three full years in a position, appointment to which is subject to the provisions of this section, he shall have the right to appear personally before the committee before said committee reaches its decision as to whether or not to affirm his removal. The committee shall also advise the court administrator in the establishment of salaries and pay scales of all court personnel unless otherwise provided by statute.
The members of said committee shall be allowed their necessary expenses including clerical expenses incurred in the performance of their duties.