ARTICLE IV.
JUDICIARY DEPARTMENT
Part 1...General. Provisions.

SECTION 1. The judicial power of this State shall be vested
in a Court of Appeals, Circuit Courts, Orphans' Courts, such
Courts for the city of Baltimore as are hereinafter provided
for, and Justices of the Peace; all said Courts shall be Courts
of Record, and each shall have a seal to be used in the au-
thentification of all process issuing therefrom. The process
and official character of Justices of the Peace shall be authen-
ticated as hath heretofore been practiced in this State, or
may hereafter be prescribed by law.

SEC. 2. The judges of all of the said courts shall be citizens
of the State of Maryland, and qualified voters under this
Constitution, and shall have resided therein not less than five
years, and not less than six months next preceding their elec-
tion or appointment in the judicial circuit, as the case may be,
for which they may be respectively elected or appointed. They
shall be not less than thirty years of age at the time of their
election or appointment, and shall be selected from those who
have been admitted to practice law in this State, and who are
most distinguished for integrity, wisdom and sound legal
knowledge.

SEC. 3. The Judges of the said several Courts shall be
elected in the counties by the qualified voters in their respec-
tive Judicial Circuits as hereinafter provided, and in the
City of Baltimore, at the general election to be held on the
Tuesday after the first Monday in November, as now provided
for in the Constitution. Each of the said Judges shall hold his
office for the term of fifteen years from the time of his election.
and until his successor is elected and qualified, or until he shall
have attained the age of seventy years, whichever may first
happen, and be re-eligible thereto until he shall have attained
the age of seventy years, and not after. Provided, however,
that any judge whose term has been extended beyond the age
of seventy years by the General Assembly prior to April 7, 1931,
shall be permitted to continue in office in accordance with the
resolution of the General Assembly in each case. In case of the
inability of any of said Judges to discharge his duties with
efficiency, by reason of continued sickness, or of physical or
mental infirmity, it shall be in the power of the General Assem-
bly, two thirds of the members of each House concurring, with
the approval of the Governor, to retire said Judge from office.*

* Thus amended by Act of 1931, Chapter 479, ratified by the people at the November
election, 1932.