Conn. Gen. Stat. » Title 51 — COURTS · Chapter 870 — Judicial Department
Connecticut General Statutes

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 51-5a (2026)

Duties and powers of Chief Court Administrator

✓ current as of May 2026
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(a) The Chief Court Administrator: (1) Shall be the administrative director of the Judicial Department and shall be responsible for the efficient operation of the department, the prompt disposition of cases and the prompt and proper administration of judicial business; (2) shall meet periodically at such places and times as the Chief Court Administrator may designate with any judge, judges or committee of judges, and with the Probate Court Administrator to transact such business as is necessary to ensure the efficient administration of the Judicial Department; (3) may issue such orders, require such reports and appoint other judges to such positions to perform such duties, as the Chief Court Administrator deems necessary to carry out his or her responsibilities; (4) may assign, reassign and modify assignments of the judges of the Superior Court to any division or part of the Superior Court and may order the transfer of actions under sections 51-347a and 51-347b; (5) may provide for the convening of conferences of the judges of the several courts, or any of them, and of such members of the bar as the Chief Court Administrator may determine, for the consideration of matters relating to judicial business, the improvement of the judicial system and the effective administration of justice in this state; and (6) may take any action necessary in the event of a major disaster, emergency, civil preparedness emergency or disaster emergency, as those terms are defined in section 28-1, or a public health emergency, as defined in section 19a-131, to ensure the continued efficient operation of the Supreme, Appellate and Superior Courts, the prompt disposition of cases and the proper administration of judicial business, which necessary action may include: (A) Establishing alternative locations to conduct judicial business in the event that one or more court locations cannot be used, (B) suspending any judicial business that is deemed not essential by the Chief Court Administrator, and (C) taking any other appropriate action necessary to ensure that essential judicial business is effectively handled by the courts.

(b) The Chief Court Administrator may establish reasonable fees for conducting searches of court records. No federal, state or municipal agency shall be required to pay any such fee.

(P.A. 82-248, S. 4; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 92-6, S. 70, 117; P.A. 10-43, S. 9.)

History: May Sp. Sess. P.A. 92-6 added new Subsec. (b) to permit the chief court administrator to establish fees for conducting searches of court records; P.A. 10-43 amended Subsec. (a) to add Subdiv. (6) authorizing Chief Court Administrator to take necessary action in event of disaster or emergency and specifying what such action may include and to make technical changes.

Cited. 192 C. 234; 206 C. 323; 209 C. 204.

Cited. 42 CS 129.

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Notes of Decisions
Cited in 10 cases, 1984–2006 · leading case: Clerk of the Superior Court v. Freedom of Info. Comm'n, 895 A.2d 743 (Conn. 2006).
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Clerk of the Superior Court v. Freedom of Info. Comm'n, 895 A.2d 743 (Conn. 2006). · cites it 20× “We also stated, however, that "[w]e have recognized that certain duties performed by judicial officers, such as accounting, personnel scheduling and record keeping, some of which are detailed in General Statutes § 51-5a, are administrative tasks.”
Pamela B. v. Ment, 709 A.2d 1089 (Conn. 1998). · cites it 4× “, General Statutes §§ 51-5a, 51-5b, 51-8, 51-9, 51-10, 51-10b, 51-11, 51-182 and 51-193Z.”
State v. Kelley, 537 A.2d 483 (Conn. 1988). · cites it 2× “6 The chief court administrator is empowered, by General Statutes § 51-5a, 7 to assign any judge of the Superior Court at *329 any time to any division of the Superior Court, even though the legislature has expressed its strong preference that judges assigned to juvenile matters…”
State v. Fuller, 744 A.2d 931 (Conn. App. Ct. 2000). · cites it 2× “, General Statutes §§ 51-5a, 51-9, 51-11, 51-45a, 51-45b, 51-164t and 51-183a; but that he also appoints the deputy chief court administrator and together, they decide the assignments of each Superior Court judge.”
In re Shonna K., 822 A.2d 1009 (Conn. App. Ct. 2003). · cites it 2× “The chief court administrator is empowered, by General Statutes § 51-5a, to assign any judge of the Superior Court at any time to any division of the Superior Court, even though the legislature has expressed its strong preference that judges assigned to juvenile matters have a…”
Rules Comm. v. Freedom of Info. Comm'n, 472 A.2d 9 (Conn. 1984). · cites it 2× “Rubinow , General Statutes §§ 51-5a 12 and 51-9, 13 the statutes which describe the *245 duties of the chief court administrator and the executive secretary, respectively, provide further examples *246 of administrative tasks.”
Beers v. Westport Bank & Trust Co., 719 A.2d 58 (Conn. App. Ct. 1998). · cites it 4× “General Statutes § 51-5a. With our computerized systems, 5 it seems highly *677 unlikely that a person armed with the correct names and addresses of the parties as they appear in the certificate of attachment would encounter any significant difficulty in determining in which…”
Hartford Courant Co. v. Pellegrino, 290 F. Supp. 2d 265 (D. Conn. 2003). · cites it 3× “Conn. Gen.Stat. § 51-5a sets forth the duties and powers of the chief court administrator.”
Connecticut Bar Examining Comm. v. Freedom of Info. Comm'n, 550 A.2d 633 (Conn. 1988). · cites it 2× “We have recognized that certain duties performed by judicial officers, such as accounting, personnel scheduling and record keeping, some of which are detailed in General Statutes § 51-5a, are administrative tasks.”
Jud. Review Council v. Freedom of Info. Comm'n, 605 A.2d 891 (Conn. Super. Ct. 1992). · cites it 3× “The referenced statutes set out the duty to collect and compile statistical and other data concerning the business transacted by the judicial branch.”
— Conn. Gen. Stat. § 51-5a(a)(1) — 1 case
Clerk of the Superior Court v. Freedom of Info. Comm'n, 895 A.2d 743 (Conn. 2006). “We also stated, however, that "[w]e have recognized that certain duties performed by judicial officers, such as accounting, personnel scheduling and record keeping, some of which are detailed in General Statutes § 51-5a, are administrative tasks.”
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