Skip to main content
Find a Lawyer

West Virginia Code Chapter 55. Actions, Suits and Arbitration; Judicial Sale § 55-17-3a. Legislature and its presiding officers never to be named as parties to a civil action in court

Current as of January 01, 2024 | Updated by Findlaw Staff

(a) Article V of the Constitution of West Virginia provides that the legislative, executive, and judicial departments of the government of West Virginia shall be separate and distinct, so that neither shall exercise the powers properly belonging to either of the others.

(b) It is an unconstitutional violation of the separation of powers mandated by Article V of the Constitution of West Virginia for:

(1) Any court of this state to issue a writ of mandamus, a writ of prohibition, or an injunction against the Legislature; or

(2) Any person to name the Legislature or the presiding officers thereof, in any action challenging the constitutionality of a statute.

(c) Pursuant to the separation of powers required by Article V of the West Virginia Constitution, if any suit is filed seeking relief under subdivision (1), subsection (a) of this section, or if any suit is filed naming the legislature, or the presiding officers thereof, in violation of the provisions of subdivision (2), subsection (a) of this section, the court must, upon motion, summarily dismiss the action, or dismiss the parties improperly joined.

(c)  1 This section shall be applied retrospectively and retroactively to all actions pending at the time of the enactment of this section.

1 So in enrolled bill; there are two subsec. (c).
Previous Part of Code Next Part of Code
Back to Chapter List

Cite this article: FindLaw.com - West Virginia Code Chapter 55. Actions, Suits and Arbitration; Judicial Sale § 55-17-3a. Legislature and its presiding officers never to be named as parties to a civil action in court - last updated January 01, 2024 | https://codes.findlaw.com/wv/chapter-55-actions-suits-and-arbitration-judicial-sale/wv-code-sect-55-17-3a/

FindLaw Codes may not reflect the most recent version of the law in your jurisdiction. Please verify the status of the code you are researching with the state legislature before relying on it for your legal needs.

Was this helpful?

Welcome to FindLaw's Cases & Codes

A free source of state and federal court opinions, state laws, and the United States Code. For more information about the legal concepts addressed by these cases and statutes, visit FindLaw’s Learn About the Law.

Go to Learn About the Law

Latest Blog Posts

For Legal Professionals

Learn About The Law

Get help with your legal needs

FindLaw’s Learn About the Law features thousands of informational articles to help you understand your options. And if you’re ready to hire an attorney, find one in your area who can help.

Go to Learn About the Law

Need to Find an Attorney?

Search our directory by legal issue

Enter information in one or both fields (Required)

Copied to clipboard