Rule 1A.Transitional Rule for District Court Litigation in Progress on July 1, 1996
Repealed · Effective July 1, 1996 · Last amended March 1, 2008 · Last verified June 26, 2026
Full Text of Rule 1A
Rule History
Adopted effective July 1, 1996; repealed November 28, 2007, effective March 1, 2008.
Plain-English Summary
Rule 1A no longer operates. It was a transitional rule that governed how cases already in progress in the District Court on July 1, 1996 moved over when the separate District/Municipal Courts Rules of Civil Procedure merged into the Massachusetts Rules of Civil Procedure. Once those cases had run their course, the rule was unnecessary, and the Supreme Judicial Court repealed it effective March 1, 2008. It is kept here for the historical record.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Rule 1A still in effect?
No. It was a one-time transitional rule and was repealed effective March 1, 2008. It is retained here for reference only.
What did Rule 1A do while it was in force?
It told courts how to handle District Court cases that were already pending on July 1, 1996, the date the separate District/Municipal Courts Rules of Civil Procedure merged into the statewide Massachusetts Rules of Civil Procedure, so that pending cases were not disrupted by the switch.