SECTION 10B. Appointment of assistant clerks

(a) The exclusive authority to select and appoint assistant clerks in the district court, juvenile court, housing court and Boston municipal court shall be vested in the clerks of said courts and such authority shall not be subject to the review or approval of any other person, except as provided in this section.

(b) Upon the appointment of an assistant clerk, the clerk shall forward notice of said appointment to the court administrator, together with (i) a certification of compliance with the personnel standards promulgated pursuant to section 8 and in effect as of July 1, 1998, with respect to job posting, newspaper advertising, review of applications, interviewing applicants, reference checks, verification of eligibility to work in the United States, and criminal record checks and (ii) a certification that sufficient funding is available in the current fiscal year budget to support the position as of the effective date of the appointment. No such appointment may be made in violation of the nepotism provisions of chapter 268A.

(c) The court administrator shall, within 21 days, review such appointments of assistant clerks solely for compliance with the specific personnel standards promulgated pursuant to section 8 and in effect as of July 1, 1998, that deal expressly with job posting, newspaper advertising, review of applications, interviewing applicants, reference checks, verification of eligibility to work in the United States, and criminal record checks. Any such appointment not disapproved by the court administrator within 21 days of receipt of the appointing authority's notice of appointment and accompanying certifications shall be deemed to be approved.

(d) Except for matters of compliance with the provisions of subsection (b), any dispute arising between a chief justice of a department or a first justice of a division, and a clerk of court, concerning the selection or appointment of personnel in the office of the clerk shall be submitted directly to the court administrator in accordance with clause (xxx) of the third paragraph of section 9, provided that the court administrator shall not refer such dispute to any other person, but shall conduct a hearing and determine such dispute within 30 days of receipt of the written notification of such dispute or within such other reasonable time as the court administrator shall set with the agreement of the parties to the dispute. The decision of the court administrator shall be made in accordance with the applicable provisions of law and shall be binding on the parties.

(e) Any appointing authority aggrieved by a final determination of the court administrator under subsection (c) or (d) or by the failure of the court administrator to hear and determine a dispute within the time prescribed by subsection (d) may petition for appeal in the supreme judicial court sitting in Suffolk county by filing a copy thereof with the clerk of said court. Such petition for appeal shall be filed within 20 days after the date of receipt of such determination. Each claim of appeal shall set forth separately and particularly each error of law asserted to have been made by the court administrator. Upon the entry of the appeal it shall be heard and determined by the court, which shall have jurisdiction to affirm, modify or set aside such determination in whole or in part, or remand the proceeding to the court administrator with instructions.

(f) The provisions of this section shall operate notwithstanding any other provision of law and shall not be construed to limit the appointment power conferred by law to any appointing authority within the trial court with respect to the appointment of personnel not specifically governed by this section.