Last week marked the formal installation of Chief Justice Lyn Stuart and Associate Justice William Sellers on the Alabama Supreme Court.
This ceremony, formally called an investiture, was the coronation of the two justices into their roles on Alabama’s highest tribunal. The term investiture comes from the Latin—the preposition in and the verb vestire, “dress” and vestis “robe.” In other words, the investiture is the ceremony in which the justices are officially robed with the formal insignia reserved for those on the state’s Supreme Court.
Justice Sellers was appointed to the Court on May 26th, 2017 by Governor Ivey. At that time, he said,
I am humbled to be appointed an Associate Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court and I thank Governor Ivey for her confidence in me. As a Justice, I can only promise to live up to my oath and serve the people of Alabama faithfully and fairly. I will respect the rule of law and apply the law equally without bias or respect to person or station in life. I look forward to working with Chief Justice Stuart and the other Justices on the Court.
When Yellowhammer asked Justice Sellers about the ceremony, he said, “It was a humbling experience to have so many friends and elected officials participate in my investiture.”
Justice Jacquelyn (Lyn) Stuart was elected to the Supreme Court in 2000 and reelected in 2006 and 2012. She became acting Chief Justice after Roy Moore’s departure from the court and was appointed Chief Justice by Governor Ivey on April 26, 2017. When Yellowhammer asked her about the investiture, she said:
Yesterday was an exciting day. It was special to celebrate the formal Investiture with family and friends. I am committed to serving the people of this state with honesty and integrity and to leading a court system that will make my two grandchildren and all other children proud and to want to continue to live in the Great State of Alabama.
Alabama Supreme Court Associate Justice James Main administered Stuart’s oath of office while Keith Watkins, Chief District Judge of the US District Court for the Middle District of Alabama did the same for Sellers, and Alabama Supreme Court Associate Justice Michale Bolin provided remarks for both.
