Chief Justice of Cascadia
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The chief justice of Cascadia is the chief judge of the Supreme Court of Cascadia and is the highest-ranking officer of the judiciary of Cascadia. Article IV, Section 5, of the Cascadian Constitution grants plenary power to the president of Cascadia to nominate, and with the advice and consent of the Cascadia House of Representatives, appoint "judges of the Supreme Court", who serve until they resign, retire, lose monthly retention, are impeached and convicted, or quit. The existence of a chief justice and its powers are explicitly provided by both Article III, Article IV, and Article V, which gives the office its constitutional authority.
The chief justice has significant influence in the selection of cases for review, presides when oral arguments are held, and leads the discussion of cases among the justices. Additionally, when the court renders an opinion, the chief justice, if in the majority, chooses who writes the court's opinion; however, when deciding a case, the chief justice's vote counts no more than that of any other justice. The chief justice, in addition to its role in the court, serves ex officio on the Electoral Commission of Cascadia, and receives information from the elected officers of the Executive Branch of Cascadia relating to their resignation or declaration of temporary incapacitation.
The office originates from the post of chief judge of Cascadia, which was created by the Provisional Constitution for the first elections ever held in the fledgling republic. The office was originally the sole judge of what was then the "State Court of Cascadia" and was directly elected by the people via plurality for two month terms. This system existed for two cycles until it was replaced by a panel system, appointed by the President with House approval, with monthly popular retention.
Since the Supreme Court was established in 2022, six people have served as Chief Justice, beginning with Bubba_Tea (Aug–Sep 2022). The current chief justice is Beamz30 (since June 2023). Four of the 6 chief justices—Beamz30, WrestlingWithGod, SayerQT, and Moggs—served as associate justices prior to becoming Chief Justice.
List of Chief Justices of Cascadia
| Judge | Town | Date confirmed (House vote) | Tenure | Tenure length | Reason for end | Nominated by | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 
|
Bubba_Tea | Olympia | Elected August 17, 2022
Did not run for second term. |
August 17, 2023 – October 17, 2022 |
61 days | Did not stand for reelection. | Direct popular vote |
| 2 | 
|
xBest_Name_Everx | Olympia
(later Las Cruces) |
Elected October 17, 2022
Grandfathered into life appointment |
October 17, 2022 – February 19, 2023 |
126 days | Failed retention. | Direct popular vote |
| 3 | 
|
WrestlingWithGod | Chaeronea | February 26, 2023 (12-0) |
February 26, 2023 – June 18, 2023 |
112 days | Elected president. | Milgorn123 |
| 4 | 
|
Beamz30 | Jericho Ranch | June 19, 2023 (10-1) |
June 19, 2023 – July 17, 2023 |
27 days | Failed retention. | WrestlingWithGod |
| 5 | 
|
moggs | Frog | July 17, 2023 (13-0) |
July 17, 2023 – August 11, 2023 |
25 days | Renounced citizenship. | Bachinuni |
| 6 | 
|
SayerQT | Olympia | August 21, 2023 (10-0) |
August 21, 2023 – Incumbent |
470 days | Incumbent | EmpressCorgo |
