Opinion ID: 1852242
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 20

Heading: The Mississippi Constitution.

Text: We wish to make it clear that this Court is fully committed to the deference due the legislature in creating the laws of this state. We possess no power or authority to legislate, which includes the power to create and amend substantive law. Since 1817, such power has been exclusively reserved to the Legislature. Miss. Const., Art. 1, Section 1. Additionally, the power to legislate inherently includes, and necessarily involves, the power to establish and enforce the procedure by which such Legislation must be created. Thus, subject only to provisions of the Mississippi and federal constitutions, the Legislature promulgates, places into effect, and enforces the practice, procedure and timing involved in transforming an idea into law. We regard the exclusive right of the legislature to do these things as inviolate. In that same regard, this Court has been charged with the responsibility, and granted the authority, over all things judicial within this state. Id. Such judicial matters inherently include and necessarily involve, the practice and procedure by which all things judicial are accomplished. This law, and these concepts, are not new. The original Mississippi Constitution adopted in 1817, and those that followed in 1832, 1868, and 1890, each provided that the judicial power of the state is vested in the Supreme Court. [37] Article IV, Section 1, of the 1832 Constitution provided: The judicial power of this state shall be vested in one high court of errors and appeals, and such other courts of law and equity as are hereafter provided for in this constitution. Article VI, Section 1, of the 1868 Constitution provided: The judicial power of the State shall be vested in a Supreme Court, and such other Courts of law and equity as are hereafter provided for in this Constitution. Article III, Sections 1, and 2, provided: The powers of the Government of the State of Mississippi shall be divided into three distinct departments, and each of them confided to a separate Magistracy, to-wit: Those which are Legislative to one; those which are Judicial to another, and those which are Executive to another. No person or collection of persons, being one of these departments, shall exercise any power properly belonging to either of the others, except in the instances hereinafter expressly directed or permitted. Article 1, Sections 1, and 2, of our current Constitution, which each Justice on this Court swore an oath to uphold, provides: The powers of the government of the State of Mississippi shall be divided into three distinct departments, and each of them confided to a separate magistracy, to-wit: those which are legislative to one; those which are judicial to another; and those which are executive to another. No person or collection of persons, being one, or belonging to one, of these departments, shall exercise any power properly belonging to either of the others. The acceptance of an office in either of said departments shall, of itself, and at once, vacate any and all offices held by the person so accepting in either of the other departments. Article 6, Section 144, of that same Constitution, provides: The judicial power of the State shall be vested in a supreme court and such other courts as are provided for in this constitution. Thus, from the time Mississippi was admitted into the Union, until today, the Supreme Court has been constitutionally obligated to exercise the judicial power of this State. This includes responsibility for the procedural rules to be followed in filing, prosecuting and appealing litigation  civil and criminal  within the courts of our state.