[1] These commissions are required under Article V of the Florida Constitution.
The Constitution specifies that "[w]henever a vacancy occurs in a judicial office to which election for retention applies, the governor shall fill the vacancy by appointing... one of not fewer than three persons nor more than six persons nominated by the appropriate judicial nominating Commission".
The Constitution makes a similar provision for Florida Circuit Court judges, except that such positions are normally filled in elections, and the governor may only step in where there is a vacancy well before the next election.
[3] further provides that "[t]here shall be a separate judicial nominating Commission as provided by general law for the supreme court, each district court of appeal, and each judicial circuit for all trial courts within the circuit",[4] This section requires that the Commissions have uniform rules of procedure,[4] and that their proceedings and records must be open to the public.
[6] It also sets the term of office of Commission members at four years.