The court consists of nine justices elected in nonpartisan contests from three districts to serve eight-year terms.

The state constitution grants the Supreme Court broad jurisdiction to review cases that raise questions of law.

It only has original jurisdiction over legal cases arising from actions taken by the Mississippi Public Service Commission to alter utility rates and in investigating instances of judicial misconduct.

The justices sit en banc to review split-decisions from a division—at the dissenting justice's request—and to hear cases involving capital punishment, utility rates, constitutional matters of first impression, and issues deemed to likely have a significant impact on the public.

[1][2] Under its first constitutional construction, the Supreme Court was composed of judges to be elected by the Mississippi Legislature.

[4][6] During the Antebellum era, the court's docket was dominated by cases involving land, banks, bonds, railroads, and slavery.

Three years later a state capitol building was completed, and the court moved its sittings to a dedicated courtroom within the structure.

In 1866, the court ruled in Ex parte Lewis that the federal Civil Rights Act of 1866 was unconstitutional.

Years later, the court ruled all decisions made by the military appointees legally invalid.

[3] During the Reconstruction era, the court was primarily occupied with cases concerning the aftermath of the Civil War—including war debts—and the regulation of large corporations.

[9] In 1898, the legislature passed a resolution to amend the constitution to provide for the popular election of all judges in the state, including the Supreme Court justices.

[12] In the first half of the 20th century, the court heard cases concerning cars, Prohibition, and economic relief efforts made in response to the Great Depression.

[13] In the latter half of the twentieth century, the court expanded the rights of criminal defendants and heard more cases concerning personal injury suits.

[18] The legislature considered impeaching justices which had favored the rules adoptions or amending the constitution to limit the court's authority before eventually deciding to withdraw appropriations from the body.

[25] The state constitution grants the Supreme Court broad jurisdiction to review cases that raise questions of law.

It only has original jurisdiction over legal cases arising from actions taken by the Mississippi Public Service Commission to alter utility rates and in investigating instances of judicial misconduct.

The justices sit en banc to review split-decisions from a division—at the dissenting justice's request—and to hear cases involving capital punishment, utility rates, constitutional matters of first impression, and issues deemed to likely have a significant impact on the public.

On questions of state law, the court usually examines the legal propriety of a statute, not its "wisdom".