Courts & rulings
Massachusetts · highest court
Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
Appointed by governor
Chief: The chief justice is a distinct position separately nominated by the governor and confirmed by the Governor's Council (not chosen by peers); serves until mandatory retirement at age 70..
Justices
All judges & justices →- Kimberly S. Budd
- Frank M. Gaziano
- Scott L. Kafker
- Dalila Argaez Wendlandt
- Serge Georges Jr.
- Bessie Dewar
- Gabrielle R. Wolohojian
Roster as of 2026-06-13.
Constitution of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Adopted 1780. Its declaration of rights sits in Part the First (Declaration of Rights). This court has the final word on what the Massachusetts 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).