§12-5-3. Department of Court Management established; powers and duties generally.

(a) There shall be a state department to be known as the Department of Court Management. This department shall be specifically charged with the duty of assisting the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Alabama in connection with his duties as the chief administrative officer of all the trial courts of this state, the Chief Justice's task of insuring that the business of said courts of the state is attended with proper dispatch and the Chief Justice's task of seeing that the dockets of such courts are not permitted to become congested and that trial of cases, civil and criminal, is not delayed unreasonably.

(b) The department shall also perform the following duties:

(1) It shall work with the clerks and registers of all civil and criminal trial courts in the state to collect, obtain, compile and digest information and statistics concerning the administration of justice in the state.

(2) It shall serve as an agency to apply for and receive any grants or other assistance and to coordinate and conduct studies and projects in connection with the improvement of the administration of justice and trial courts in Alabama, and it may conduct such studies and projects with or without the assistance of consultants.

(3) It shall assist the Judicial Conference in its tasks.

(4) It shall promote, carry on and assist in programs designed to aid in the continuing legal and judicial education of justices, judges, clerks, registers and other court personnel and to work with any organization or association of such officials.

(5) It shall perform such other duties as may be assigned by the Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court.

(Acts 1971, No. 1593, p. 2725, §1.)