Section 15-11-20. (Effective until January 1, 2014) Training seminars for judges and associate judges exercising juvenile court jurisdiction; expenses of seminar program; training requirements

   (a) The Council of Juvenile Court Judges, in conjunction with the Institute of Continuing Judicial Education of Georgia, shall establish seminars for all judges and associate juvenile court judges exercising juvenile court jurisdiction and may make provisions relative to those seminars by court rules properly adopted; provided, however, that said judges shall receive credit for attending seminars outside of this state only in circumstances of hardship as determined by the Council of Juvenile Court Judges.

(b) These seminars shall offer instruction and training in juvenile law and procedure, child development and psychology, sociological theories relative to delinquency and breakdown of the family structure, and such other training and activities as the council may determine would promote the quality of justice in the juvenile court system.

(c) Expenses of administration of this seminar program and actual expenses incurred by the judges or associate juvenile court judges in attending these seminars shall be paid from state funds appropriated for the council for that purpose, from federal funds available to the council for that purpose, or from other appropriate sources. These expenses for judges and associate juvenile court judges shall not exceed the allowances allowed members of the General Assembly.

(d) Each judge and associate juvenile court judge exercising juvenile jurisdiction shall participate in at least one seminar established or approved by the Council of Juvenile Court Judges each year and meet such rules as established by the council pertaining to such training. Superior court judges may meet this requirement by attending seminars held in conjunction with the seminars for superior court judges provided by the Institute of Continuing Judicial Education of Georgia. Judges and associate juvenile court judges shall not exercise juvenile court jurisdiction after January 1, 1983, unless the Council of Juvenile Court Judges certifies that annual training has been accomplished or unless the judge is in the first year of his or her initial appointment; provided, however, that the council may in hardship cases extend deadlines for compliance with this Code section.

Code 1933, § 24A-502, enacted by Ga. L. 1981, p. 1390, § 1; Code 1981, § 15-11-4.1; Ga. L. 1990, p. 1691, § 3; Ga. L. 1995, p. 783, §§ 1, 2; Ga. L. 1998, p. 653, § 4; Code 1981, § 15-11-20, as redesignated by Ga. L. 2000, p. 20, § 1.