[5] Judges are nominated by the Governor from a list of four to six names submitted by the Judicial Selection Commission.

[6] A judge's nomination is subject to confirmation by the Hawaii Senate, but reappointments require only approval of the Judicial Selection Commission.

[11] Originally, Hawaii adopted the so-called "push-down" or "deflective" model of appellate procedure still used in a small number of other states.

Following judgment or appropriate agency decision, a party filed an application for writ of certiorari with the Hawaii Supreme Court.

[17] However, a party could still submit an application to transfer a case to the Hawaii Supreme Court upon the grounds of a question of imperative or fundamental public importance; an appeal from a decision of any court or agency when appeals are allowed by law invalidating an amendment to the state constitution or determining a state statute, county ordinance, or agency rule to be invalid on the grounds that it was invalidly enacted or is unconstitutional, on its face or as applied, under either the constitution of the State or the United States; or a sentence of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.