§7254. Organization

(a) The Court of Veterans Appeals shall have a seal which shall be judicially noticed.

(b) The Court may hear cases by judges sitting alone or in panels, as determined pursuant to procedures established by the Court. Any such panel shall have not less than three judges. The Court shall establish procedures for the assignment of the judges of the Court to such panels and for the designation of the chief of each such panel.

(c)(1) A majority of the judges of the Court shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of the business of the Court. A vacancy in the Court shall not impair the powers or affect the duties of the Court or of the remaining judges of the Court.

(2) A majority of the judges of a panel of the Court shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of the business of the panel. A vacancy in a panel of the Court shall not impair the powers or affect the duties of the panel or of the remaining judges of the panel.

(d) In the event of a vacancy in the position of chief judge of the Court, the associate judge senior in service on the Court shall serve as acting chief judge unless the President designates one of the other associate judges to serve as acting chief judge, in which case the judge so designated shall serve as acting chief judge.

(e) Judges of the Court shall have the authority to administer oaths.

(Added Pub. L. 100–687, div. A, title III, §301(a), Nov. 18, 1988, 102 Stat. 4114 , §4054; amended Pub. L. 101–94, title IV, §402, Aug. 16, 1989, 103 Stat. 628 ; Pub. L. 101–237, title VI, §602(b), Dec. 18, 1989, 103 Stat. 2095 ; renumbered §7254, Pub. L. 102–40, title IV, §402(b)(1), May 7, 1991, 105 Stat. 238 ; Pub. L. 102–54, §14(e)(4), June 13, 1991, 105 Stat. 287 ; Pub. L. 102–82, §8(3), Aug. 6, 1991, 105 Stat. 377 .)

Amendments

1991-Pub. L. 102–40 renumbered section 4054 of this title as this section.

Subsecs. (d), (e). Pub. L. 102–54 amended section as in effect immediately before the enactment of Pub. L. 102–40, and Pub. L. 102–82 amended section, identically, by redesignating the second subsec. (d), relating to authority to administer oaths as, (e).

1989-Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 101–237 added subsec. (d) relating to authority to administer oaths.

Pub. L. 101–94 added subsec. (d) relating to acting chief judge in event of vacancy.