Rhode Island General Laws Title 8. Courts and Civil Procedure--Courts § 8-6-2. Rules of practice and procedure

(a) The supreme court, the superior court, the family court, the district court, and the workers' compensation court, by a majority of their members, shall have the power to make rules for regulating practice, procedure, and business therein. The chief magistrate of the traffic tribunal shall have the power to make rules for regulating practice, procedure, and business in the traffic tribunal. The rules of the superior, family, district court, workers' compensation court, and the traffic tribunal shall be subject to the approval of the supreme court. Such rules, when effective, shall supersede any statutory regulation in conflict therewith.

(b) In prescribing such rules, the court shall have regard to the simplification of the system of pleading, practice, and procedure in the courts in which the rules shall apply in order to promote the speedy determination of litigation on the merits; provided, however, that each respective court shall not in the rules of procedure require a party to a civil action to produce either by discovery, motion to produce or interrogatory an income tax return, W-2 statement, or copies thereof. The rules presently in effect in the courts of the judicial system shall remain and continue in force and effect until revised, amended, repealed, or superseded by rules adopted in accordance with this section.