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Pa Supreme Court Adopts Rule Allowing Citation of Unpublished Superior Court Opinions

News Article

April 22, 2019

Acting on a recommendation of its Appellate Court Procedural Rules Committee, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court has adopted a rule that allows litigants in each of the intermediate appellate courts to cite to unpublished decisions for persuasive authority.

The rule, effective in May, adds a provision to Rule of Appellate Procedure 126 that will allow parties to rely on unpublished non-precedential memorandum decisions of the Superior Court filed after May 1, 2019, or an unreported opinion of the Commonwealth Court filed after Jan. 15, 2008.

“This rule change promotes greater transparency for the decisions of the intermediate appellate courts,” said Supreme Court Justice Christine Donohue. “Most important, however, is that the rule fosters consistent treatment of litigants by the various panels of the appellate courts and aids the bar in its presentation of cases.”

For more information on the rule visit http://www.pacourts.us/assets/files/article-992/file-7610.pdf?cb=f4f02.

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Media contact: Stacey Witalec, 717-877-2997