Rules of Superintendence Restructuring

The Supreme Court of Ohio has adopted amendments restructuring the rules governing Ohio’s courts. Numerous rules have been moved from the Rules of Superintendence to the appropriate Rules of Practice and Procedure. The changes took effect July 1, 2026.

The goals of the restructuring were to create a more logical organization of court rules, allow for future expansion and contraction of the rules, and identify rules that should be addressed in other rule publications.

The rules relocated out of the Rules of Superintendence pertain to court practices and procedures instead of operational and administrative matters. Three publications in the Rules of Practice and Procedure were affected: the Rules of Civil Procedure; the Rules of Criminal Procedure; and the Rules of Juvenile Procedure.

The Commission on the Rules of Superintendence recommended the amendments, and the recommendations were published for public comment before the Supreme Court’s adoption.