HB232 • 2025

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 10 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE RANDOMIZED ASSIGNMENT OF CASES IN THE COURT OF CHANCERY.

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Michael Smith
Last action: 2025-08-12
Official status: Stricken 8/12/25
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official status indicates the bill was stricken, so it did not become law. All descriptions of what the bill does are hypothetical and describe only what would have happened if passed.

Random Case Assignment for Delaware's Court of Chancery

This bill would have required the Delaware Court of Chancery to use a random system to assign cases within 90 days, but it was removed from consideration.

What This Bill Does

Requires all civil actions and petitions in the Court of Chancery to be assigned by a randomized system administered by the Chancellor.
Prohibits parties, attorneys, or judges from selecting, directing, or influencing which judge gets a specific case.
Allows reassignment only if a judge must step aside due to recusal or disqualification, cases are substantially related for efficiency, or workload needs balancing without favoring any party.
Mandates that the court create public rules for how randomization works and publish yearly reports on assignments and reasons for changes.
States that attempts to manipulate the assignment system may result in sanctions, including dismissal of a case.

Who It Names or Affects

The Delaware Court of Chancery
Chancellors and Vice Chancellors in that court
Attorneys filing civil actions or petitions
Parties involved in cases before the Court of Chancery

Terms To Know

Court of Chancery: A specific type of court in Delaware that handles business disputes and equity matters.
Randomized assignment: A system where cases are given to judges by chance rather than by choice or request.
Recusal: When a judge steps away from a case because they cannot be fair, such as having a conflict of interest.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill was stricken in the House on August 12, 2025, meaning it will not move forward.
No effective date is listed because the legislation did not become law.
Specific details of how the randomization software or method works are left for future court rules.

Bill History

2025-08-12 Delaware General Assembly
Stricken in House
2025-06-27 Delaware General Assembly
Introduced and Assigned to Judiciary Committee in House

Official Summary Text

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 10 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE RANDOMIZED ASSIGNMENT OF CASES IN THE COURT OF CHANCERY.
This Act requires the Court of Chancery to implement a randomized case assignment process. The implementation of this Act shall occur within 90 days of enactment.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

Legislation Document

SPONSOR:

Rep. Michael Smith & Sen. Wilson

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

153rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HOUSE BILL NO. 232

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 10 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE RANDOMIZED ASSIGNMENT OF CASES IN THE COURT OF CHANCERY.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE:

Section 1. Amend Chapter 3, Title 10 of the Delaware Code by making deletions as shown by strike through and insertions as shown by underline as follows:

§ 330. Randomized Case Assignments in the Court of Chancery.

(a) Purpose. The purpose of this section is to ensure impartiality and prevent undue influence in the assignment of cases in the Court of Chancery by implementing a randomized case assignment process.

(b) Random Assignment Requirement.

(1) All civil actions, petitions, and matters filed in the Court of Chancery shall be assigned to a Vice Chancellor or the Chancellor through a randomized case assignment system administered by the Chancellor.

(2) The system shall ensure that no party, attorney, or judge may select, direct, or influence the assignment of any case to a particular Vice Chancellor or the Chancellor.

(1) A case may be reassigned from its randomly assigned judge only under the following circumstances: -

(i) Recusal or Disqualification: If the assigned judicial officer is required to recuse or is otherwise disqualified under Delaware law or judicial ethics rules.

(ii) Related Cases: If a case is substantially related to a previously assigned matter, the Chancellor may, at their discretion, consolidate or reassign the case for judicial efficiency.

(iii) Judicial Workload Considerations: The Chancellor may, for good cause and in the interest of docket efficiency, reassign cases among Vice Chancellors, provided that such reassignment is not based on the identity of the parties or attorneys involved.

(d) Transparency and Reporting.

(1) The Court of Chancery shall adopt and maintain publicly available rules governing the randomization process.

(2) The Clerk of the Court shall annually publish a statistical report summarizing case assignments, including reassignment rates and reasons for reassignment, ensuring accountability and transparency.

(e) No Right to Choose a Judge.

(1) No party, attorney, or litigant shall have the right to demand assignment to or removal of a specific Chancellor or Vice Chancellor, except under applicable rules of judicial recusal or disqualification.

(2) Any attempt to manipulate or evade the randomized case assignment system shall be subject to sanctions, including potential dismissal or disciplinary action.

Section 2. Implementation.

(a) The Court of Chancery shall implement the provisions of this Act no later than 90 days after enactment.

(b) The Chancellor shall promulgate any necessary court rules and administrative orders to effectuate the randomized case assignment process.

Section 3. Effective Date.

This Act shall take effect immediately upon enactment.

SYNOPSIS

This Act requires the Court of Chancery to implement a randomized case assignment process. The implementation of this Act shall occur within 90 days of enactment.