The Illinois Student Senate created a new judiciary body Wednesday night, forming the Illinois Student Court, in a vote of 29 to one, with four abstentions.

The College of Law Moot Court Bench, the previous functioning judiciary of the ISS, recently declined to continue hearing the Senate’s cases.

The judiciary’s purpose is to check the power of the executive and legislative branches of the student government. When a formal complaint is submitted to ISS, the judiciary must hold a hearing for the complaint.

While other nominated organizations have refused to take the Moot Court’s place as judiciary, ISS has proposed the creation of a new registered student organization, the Illinois Student Court, to serve as the senate’s new judiciary.

“The way our constitution is set up, we don’t have a standing court system … the Moot Court Bench, which is a law school organization of students, does not want to deal with us anymore,” said Calvin Lear, ISS senator and graduate student. “They do not want to review our court cases and find out whether or not we broke the law, they only want to hear appeals.”

Additionally, ISS approved a resolution, with a vote of 25 in favor, recommending the Student Fee Advisory Committee to change its charter. Additionally, the resolution urges the Campus Student Election Commission to display arguments for and against any student fee on the referendum, whether it is for initiation or renewal. 

Student Body President Mitch Dickey also addressed the upcoming implementation of same-day voter registration at the Illini Union.

On Oct. 10, Dickey sent a letter to Champaign County Clerk Gordy Hulten, asking him to implement same-day voter registration at the Illini Union. 

After persistent attempts to reach him, Hulten finally responded earlier this week.

“We will be calling on Gordy to implement same-day voter registration here at the Illini Union, so that everybody who wants to vote, but hasn’t registered to vote yet, can do so on election day,” Dickey said. “The only thing standing in our way of getting same-day voter registration at the Illini Union is getting Gordy to actually agree to do so.”

A press conference on same-day voter registration will be held by Dickey at the Illini Union on Thursday, in association with various political student organizations and Mayor of Champaign Don Gerard.

Faraz can be reached at [email protected].