Judicial and Administrative 
Responsibilities of the  
Supreme Court of Pennsylvania

Is it appropriate for members of the Supreme Court 
to talk to members of the legislature?

The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania has two distinct responsibilities under Pennsylvania’s Constitution.

In the role most visible to the public, the seven-member Court decides cases brought before it by litigants 
from every corner of Pennsylvania.  The Court holds periodic sessions at three locations, in Harrisburg, 
Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, to hear arguments in those cases.  It issues several hundred rulings on 
appeals and capital cases each year.

In a separate role, the Supreme Court supervises and oversees the operations of the entire Pennsylvania 
court system.  As an equal branch of government, the Court must work with the legislature and the 
executive branch on matters that affect the courts at every level.  Matters that require the chief justice and 
other justices to communicate with lawmakers and executive branch leaders include the annual budget 
for the courts, education programs for judges and lawyers, plans for judicial capital projects, activities 
of the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts and the work of several court-related boards and 
commissions.

The American Bar Association supports the principle of an independent judiciary that works effectively with 
the political branches of government. It encourages regular meetings among representatives from all three 
branches to promote interbranch communication as a way to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings and 
confrontation on issues such as court funding and structural reform of courts.

Revised November 2012