The longest-serving chief justice on the Utah Supreme Court will resign at the end of this summer, stepping down from office after serving 26 years on the state’s highest court.
Utah Supreme Court Chief Justice Matthew B. Durrant announced on Friday he would resign effective Aug. 31 after serving as the court’s chief justice for 14 years. He was first appointed to the court in January 2000 by then-Gov. Michael Leavitt, later being elevated to the chief justice position in April 2012.
“Serving the people of Utah and working alongside dedicated judges and court employees across the state has been the honor of a lifetime,” Durrant said in a statement. “I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to help strengthen the administration of justice in Utah.”
During his tenure on the state Supreme Court, Utah has been nationally recognized for its innovation and modernization efforts to improve public access to the justice system. Durrant directly oversaw those efforts as chief justice by promoting initiatives focused on court accessibility and public trust in the justice system.
Durrant was recently elected as president of the Conference of Chief Justices, a national organization made up of the highest judicial officers from each state and U.S. territory to support state court systems.
“Chief Justice Durrant is a deeply respected jurist, consummate public servant, and genuinely extraordinary person” Gov. Spencer Cox said in a statement. “For decades, he set aside private life and personal gain, devoting himself fully to the people of Utah and to the faithful administration of justice. His integrity, humility, and devotion to public service have left a lasting mark on our state, and Utah is better because he chose to serve.”
Durrant’s departure means Cox will now need to fill four seats on the state Supreme Court after Justice Diana Hagen resigned from her position earlier this month. Hagen faced allegations of having an inappropriate relationship with a lawyer working on the state’s controversial redistricting lawsuit.
The state Legislature also passed a bill this year expanding the state Supreme Court to seven justices, meaning Cox will have four seats to fill in total.