Supreme Court rescinds multiple COVID-19 orders, updates temporary rules

TOPEKA—Today the Kansas Supreme Court released new orders that rescind multiple COVID-19 related orders, update the temporary rule for self-represented litigant filings in district courts, and continue temporary rules on court-initiated livestreams. 

Orders rescinded  

In 2023-PR-019, the Supreme Court rescinds COVID-19 related orders related to these topics: 

• district court continuity of operations plans, which are now addressed in Supreme Court Rule 104; 

• obsolete COVID-19 health and safety protocols; and 

• temporary locations for jury proceedings and related functions no longer used. 

New orders continue or update temporary rules 

2023-RL-018 continues temporary rules on media and public access to court-initiated livestreams. These temporary rules had been in 2022-PR-083, District and Appellate Courts Operations as of December 31, 2022. 2023-RL-018 does not impact 2021-PR-021, which remains in effect. In 2021-PR-021, the chief justice authorizes using two-way audio-visual communication in district and appellate court proceedings to secure the health and safety of court users, staff, and judicial officers, and to expeditiously resolve pending cases. 

2023-RL-017 updates the Temporary Rule for Filing in a District Court by a Self-Represented Litigant and rescinds an earlier version of this temporary rule found in 2020-RL-115.