Document ID: ./input/supremecourt_opinions/opinions/boundvolumes/524bv.pdf
Page Number: 288

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Unit: $U85

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Cite as: 524 U. S. 236 (1998)

243

Opinion of the Court

cates of Appealability under 28 U. S. C. § 2253 and for Mo-
tions under 28 U. S. C. § 2244, pt. I (CA1), 28 U. S. C. A.,
p. 135 (1998 Pamphlet); Internal Operating Procedures
10.3.2, 15.1 (CA3 1998); Criminal Justice Act Implementa-
tion Plan, pt. I.2 (CA4), 28 U. S. C. A., p. 576 (1998 Pam-
phlet); Internal Operating Procedures 1(a)(1) and (c)(7) (CA7
1998); Rule 27–1, Advisory Committee Note (1) (CA9), 28
U. S. C. A., p. 290 (1998 Pamphlet); Emergency General
Order in re Procedures Regarding the Prison Litigation Re-
form Act and the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty
Act (CA10), 28 U. S. C. A., p. 487 (1998 Pamphlet); Internal
Operating Procedure 11, following Rule 47–6 (CA11 1998).
These directives would be meaningless if applications for
certiﬁcates of appealability were not matters subject to the
control and disposition of the courts of appeals.

It is true the President appoints “circuit judges for the
several circuits,” 28 U. S. C. § 44, but it is true as well the
court of appeals “consist[s] of the circuit judges of the circuit
in regular active service,” § 43.
In this instance, as in all
other cases of which we are aware, the order denying the
certiﬁcate was issued in the name of the court and under its
seal. That is as it should be, for the order was judicial in
character and had consequences with respect to the ﬁnality
of the order of the District Court and the continuing jurisdic-
tion of the Court of Appeals.

The Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure make speciﬁc
provision for consideration of applications for certiﬁcates of
appealability by the entire court. Rule 22(b) states:

“In a habeas corpus proceeding in which the detention
complained of arises out of process issued by a State
court, an appeal by the applicant for the writ may not
proceed unless a district or a circuit judge issues a cer-
tiﬁcate of appealability pursuant to section 2253(c) of
title 28, United States Code. . . . If the district judge has
denied the certiﬁcate, the applicant for the writ may
then request issuance of the certiﬁcate by a circuit