Appointed by governor5 justices· 10-year terms· Haw.
Chief: Appointed directly to the office of chief justice by the Governor from a list submitted by the Judicial Selection Commission, subject to confirmation by the State Senate (Devens was so confirmed and sworn in May 5, 2026)..
Adopted 1959. Its declaration of rights sits in Article I (Bill of Rights). This court has the final word on what the Hawaii constitution means.
Primacy, interprets its own constitution first
How a state reads its own rights provisions relative to the federal floor, lockstep vs departure.
State-court structure and selection methods are from official and reference sources; the justice roster is point-in-time. Civibrief carries each state's highest court (lower state courts are out of scope for now).
