(a) Generally. From and after December 14, 2022, any reference in these Rules or, in any proceedings before any court of the Maryland Judiciary, any reference in any statute, ordinance, or regulation applicable in Maryland to the Court of Appeals of Maryland shall be deemed to refer to the Supreme Court of Maryland, and any reference to the Court of Special Appeals of Maryland shall be deemed to refer to the Appellate Court of Maryland. Unless otherwise specified, any reference in these Rules to the Supreme Court shall be deemed to refer to the Supreme Court of Maryland, and any reference in these Rules to the Appellate Court shall be deemed to refer to the Appellate Court of Maryland.

(b) Terminology--Appellate Court. In these Rules, wherever the term appellate court appears with initial capital letters (“Appellate Court”), the term means the Appellate Court of Maryland. Wherever the term appellate court appears with lower case initial letters (“appellate court”), the term, as applicable under the circumstances, may refer to any court that is exercising appellate jurisdiction.

Committee note: By 2021 Maryland Laws, Chapters 82 and 83, the General Assembly proposed amendments to the Maryland Constitution to change the name of the Court of Appeals of Maryland to the Supreme Court of Maryland and to change the name of the Court of Special Appeals of Maryland to the Appellate Court of Maryland. On December 14, 2022, the Governor certified that those amendments were adopted by the voters in the 2022 general election and took effect as of the date of his certification.

Source: This Rule is new.