The Text

Supreme court commissioners may be appointed as hereinafter provided, one or more of whom may be designated by the court to determine the compensation to be paid whenever private property is taken for a public use in the judicial department or district for which they shall have been appointed, when such compensation is not made by the state, and who also may respectively be designated as referee whenever issues are properly referred for determination or report, and who shall perform such other or further duties as may be devolved upon them by special order or rule of court by the appellate division or by the civil practice rules. The respective appellate divisions in the first and second judicial departments from time to time may appoint for each of the counties therein within the city of New York such commissioners as they deem necessary and, with the approval of the board of estimate and apportionment or its successors, fix their compensation which shall he uniform in each county and a charge against the city of New York. The legislature may at any time authorize the appointment of supreme court commissioners in the third and fourth judicial departments and in the counties in the second department not within the city of New York. Such commissioners shall he members of the bar of not less than ten years standing. They shall not practice as attorneys or counselors in any court of this state or of the United States. They shall hold office during the pleasure of the respective appellate divisions by which they shall have been appointed. Supreme court commissioners during their continuance in office shall not hold any other office or public trust.