 | This article relies largely or entirely on a single source. (July 2020) |
| Alaska Supreme Court | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Established | 1959 |
| Location | Anchorage Fairbanks Juneau |
| Composition method | Missouri plan with retention elections |
| Authorised by | Alaska State Constitution |
| Appeals to | Supreme Court of the United States |
| Judge term length | 10 years |
| Number of positions | 5 |
| Website | Official site |
| Chief Justice | |
| Currently | Peter J. Maassen |
| Since | February 7, 2023 |
The Alaska Supreme Court is the state supreme court for the U.S. state of Alaska. Its decisions are binding on all other Alaska state courts, and the only court its decisions may be appealed to is the Supreme Court of the United States. The Alaska Supreme Court hears appeals from lower state courts and also administers the state's judicial system.
The court consists of five justices, one of whom is internally chosen to serve as chief justice for a three-year term. The justices are appointed by the governor of Alaska from slates of candidates approved by the Alaska Judicial Council, an independent commission of Alaskan lawyers and lay citizens. Each justice faces a judicial retention election after their third year of service and once every ten years thereafter.
It hears cases on a monthly basis in Anchorage, approximately quarterly in Fairbanks and Juneau, and as needed in other Alaska communities. The court prefers to hear oral arguments in the city where the case was heard in the trial court.