Tenn. Code Ann. § 16-3-502 (2026)

In addition to other constitutional, statutory and inherent power, but not restrictive thereof, the supreme court may:

• (1) Designate the administrative director of the courts as the chief administrative officer of the courts of the state;

• (2) Direct the administrative director of the courts to take all action or to perform duties that are necessary for the orderly administration of justice within the state, whether or not herein or elsewhere enumerated;

• (3) Direct the administrative director of the courts to provide administrative support to all of the courts of the state through an administrative office of the courts in order to:
  • (A) Designate and assign temporarily any judge or chancellor to hold or sit as a member of any court, of comparable dignity or equal or higher level, for any good and sufficient reason;
  • (B) Maintain a roster of retired judges who are willing and able to undertake special duties from time to time and to designate or assign them appropriate judicial duties;
  • (C) Make a careful and continuing survey of the dockets of the circuit, criminal, chancery and other similar courts of record, and to report at periodic intervals to the court, and annually to the general assembly, information that is public record;
  • (D) Take affirmative and appropriate action to correct and alleviate any imbalance in caseloads among the various judicial districts of the state; and
  • (E) Take affirmative and appropriate action to correct or alleviate any condition or situation adversely affecting the administration of justice within the state;

• (4) Adopt, upon the recommendation of the administrative director of the courts, an annual plan providing for the orientation of newly elected or appointed judges of trial or appellate courts of record and for the appropriate continuing legal education and training of the judges; and

• (5) Establish and implement a policy concerning the prevention of sexual harassment. This policy shall include training workshops and the establishment of a hearing procedure.

Acts 1970, ch. 422, § 2; T.C.A., § 16-331; Acts 1984, ch. 931, § 23; 1993, ch. 65, § 1; 1993, ch. 307, § 3.