Ky. Const. art. I, § 112 — Article I / Section 112
Ky. Const. § 112
Status: in_force

Section 112   Location -- Circuits -- Composition -- Administration -- Jurisdiction. 
 
(1)  Circuit Court shall be held in each county. 
 
(2)  The Circuit Court districts existing on the effective date of this amendment to 
the Constitution shall continue under the name "Judicial Circuits," the General Assembly 
having power upon certification of the necessity therefor by the Supreme Court to reduce, 
increase or rearrange the judicial districts. A judicial circuit composed of more than one 
county shall be as compact in form as possible and of contiguous counties. No county 
shall be divided in creating a judicial circuit. 
 
(3)  The number of circuit judges in each district existing on the effective date of 
this amendment shall continue, the General Assembly having power upon certification of 
the necessity therefor by the Supreme Court, to change the number of circuit judges in 
any judicial circuit. 
 
(4)  In a judicial circuit having only one judge, he shall be the chief judge. In 
judicial circuits having two or more judges, they shall select biennially a chief judge, and 
if they fail to do so within a reasonable time, the Supreme Court shall designate the chief 
judge. The chief judge shall exercise such authority and perform such duties in the 
administration of his judicial circuit as may be prescribed by the Supreme Court. The 
Supreme Court may provide by rules for administration of judicial circuits by regions 
designated by it. 
 
(5)  The Circuit Court shall have original jurisdiction of all justiciable causes not 
vested in some other court. It shall have such appellate jurisdiction as may be provided by 
law. 
 
(6)  The Supreme Court may designate one or more divisions of Circuit Court 
within a judicial circuit as a family court division. A Circuit Court division so designated 
shall retain the general jurisdiction of the Circuit Court and shall have additional 
jurisdiction as may be provided by the General Assembly. 
Text as Ratified on:  November 5, 2002 
History: 2002 amendment was proposed by 2001 Ky. Acts ch. 163, sec. 1; 1974 repeal 
and reenactment was proposed by 1974 Ky. Acts ch. 84, sec. 1, and ratified 
November 4, 1975, effective January 1, 1976; original version ratified August 3, 
1891, and revised September 28, 1891. 
Legislative Research Commission Note (11-15-02). 2001 Ky. Acts ch. 163, which 
contained the text of the amendment to this section that was ratified on November 5, 
2002, also contained sec. 2, which reads as follows:  
"District judges elected for the term beginning on the first Monday in January of 2003, 
who possess the qualifications of a Circuit Judge and who are assigned by the Chief 
Justice to serve as family court judges on or before the commencement of the term, 
shall on that date become Circuit Judges with terms of office coinciding with the 
terms of Circuit Judges generally, and another numbered division or divisions of that 
judicial circuit shall be created. When a District Judge becomes a Circuit Judge 
pursuant to this provision, that District Judgeship shall be abolished and there shall 
be no vacancy to fill. The General Assembly, upon the ratification of this 
amendment, shall enact legislation to implement the provisions of this amendment in 
a manner consistent with the Supreme Court's adjustment of any Circuit Court 
division as a family court division."