Court Opinion

ID: 9574677
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 21:07:05.14832+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T12:41:52.956742
License: Public Domain

Duckworth, Chief Justice,
dissenting. Although the Constitution (Code Ann. § 2-3601) empowers the legislature to create courts, yet that Constitution (Code Ann. § 2-4201) authorizes the legislature to- establish magistrate courts when, and only when, they take the place of justice courts that have been abolished. Such courts must be in lieu of, that is, must take the place formerly held by a justice court. Certainly there can be found in the Constitution nothing that authorizes the two courts at the same time. They can not coexist as the law here assailed attempts to have them do, for the constitutional term “in lieu of” is irreconcilable with coexistence. The attempt by the law to establish magistrate courts in Clarke County and at the same time allow justice courts to continue to exist in the county is contrary to the Constitution and therefore void.