the prosecution of appeals to said appellate court whereby
they shall prescribe the periods within which appeals may be
taken, what part or parts of the proceedings in the court be-
low shall constitute the record on appeal and the manner in
which such appeals shall be brought to hearing or determina-
tion, and shall regulate, generally, the practice of said Court
of Appeals so as to prevent delays and promote brevity in all
records and proceedings brought into said court, and to abol-
ish and avoid all unnecessary costs and expenses in the prosecu-
tion of appeals therein; and the said Judge shall make such
reduction in the fees and expenses of the said court, as they may
deem advisable. It shall also be the duty of said Judges of the
Court of Appeals, as soon after their election as practicable, to
devise and promulgate by rules or orders, forms and modes of
framing and filing bills, answers and other proceedings and
pleadings in equity; and also forms and modes of taking and
obtaining evidence, to be used in equity cases; and to revise
and regulate, generally, the practice in the Courts of Equity of
this State, so as to prevent delays, and to promote brevity and
conciseness in all pleadings and proceedings therein, and to
abolish all unnecessary costs and expenses attending the same.
And all rules and regulations hereby directed to be made shall,
when made, have the force of law until rescinded, changed or
modified by the said judges or the General Assembly.

*SEC. 18A. The Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals shall be
the administrative head of the judicial system of the State. He
shall from time to time require, from each of the judges of the
Circuit Court for the several counties and of the Supreme Bench
of Baltimore City, reports as to the judicial work and business
of each of the judges and their respective courts. He may, in
case of a vacancy or of illness, disqualification or other absence
of one or more judges of the Court of Appeals, designate any
judge of any of the Circuit Courts for the counties or of the
Supreme Bench of Baltimore City, to sit in any case or for a
specified period as a judge of the Court of Appeals in lieu of a
judge of that court, and may designate, to sit as a judge of the
Circuit Court for any county or of any Court or Courts of
Baltimore City, either alone or with one or more other judges,
in any case or for a specified period, any judge of the Court of
Appeals or of any other Circuit Court or of the Supreme Bench
of Baltimore City. In the absence of the Chief Judge of the
Court of Appeals the provisions of this Section shall be appli-
cable to the senior judge present. The powers of the Chief
Judge under the aforegoing provisions of this section shall be
subject to such rules and regulations, if any, as the Court of
Appeals may make. The Court of Appeals from time to time

* This amendment was submitted by Chapter 772 of the Acts of 1943 and ratified by the
people in November, 1944.