Connecticut General Statutes
Chapter 814c - Human Rights and Opportunities
Section 46a-55. (Formerly Sec. 31-125a). - Commission legal counsel.

(a) The executive director shall assign a commission legal counsel to represent the commission in any proceeding wherein any state agency or state officer is an adversary party and in such other matters as the commission and the Attorney General may jointly prescribe.

(b) The executive director may assign a commission legal counsel to represent the commission in any hearing or appeal under subparagraph (A) of subdivision (2) of subsection (e) of section 4-61dd. Commission legal counsel may intervene as a matter of right in any such hearing or appeal without permission of the parties, a hearing officer or the court.
(c) The executive director may, within available appropriations, assign a commission legal counsel to bring a civil action concerning an alleged discriminatory practice, in accordance with this subsection, in lieu of an administrative hearing pursuant to section 46a-84, when the executive director determines that a civil action is in the public interest and if the parties to the administrative hearing mutually agree, in writing, to the bringing of such civil action by commission legal counsel. The commission legal counsel shall bring such a civil action in the Superior Court not later than ninety days following the date the commission legal counsel notifies the parties of the executive director's determination. Such civil action may be served by certified mail and shall not be subject to the provisions of section 46a-100, 46a-101 or 46a-102. The jurisdiction of the Superior Court in an action brought under this subsection shall be limited to such claims, counterclaims, defenses or the like that could be presented at an administrative hearing before the commission, had the complaint remained with the commission for disposition. A complainant may intervene as a matter of right without permission of the court or the parties. The civil action shall be tried to the court without a jury. If the commission legal counsel determines that the interests of the state will not be adversely affected, the complainant or attorney for the complainant shall present all or part of the case in support of the complaint. The court may grant any relief available under section 46a-104. Where the Superior Court finds that a respondent has committed a discriminatory practice, the court shall grant the commission its fees and costs and award the commission a civil penalty, not exceeding ten thousand dollars, provided such discriminatory practice has been established by clear and convincing evidence, which shall be payable to the commission and used by the commission to advance the public interest in eliminating discrimination.
(1967, P.A. 715, S. 2; P.A. 80-422, S. 4; May 9 Sp. Sess. P.A. 02-7, S. 93; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6, S. 191; P.A. 05-201, S. 2; P.A. 11-237, S. 2; P.A. 15-18, S. 11; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 15-5, S. 87; P.A. 19-16, S. 11; 19-93, S. 2; P.A. 22-82, S. 22.)
History: P.A. 80-422 rephrased provisions and authorized counsel to represent commission in proceeding where state officers are adversary parties; Sec. 31-125a transferred to Sec. 46a-55 in 1981; May 9 Sp. Sess. P.A. 02-7 required commission counsel to report to the executive director on a day-to-day basis and required executive director to evaluate the performance of the commission counsel, effective August 15, 2002; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6 replaced “The commission counsel shall represent the commission” with “The executive director shall assign a commission legal counsel to represent the commission”, replaced “The commission counsel” with “Each commission legal counsel” and deleted provision requiring the executive director to evaluate the performance of the commission counsel, effective August 20, 2003; P.A. 05-201 added provision re assignment through the supervising attorney and deleted provisions re representation of commission, bar membership and reports, effective July 6, 2005; P.A. 11-237 designated existing provisions as Subsec. (a) and added Subsec. (b) re executive director assigning commission legal counsel to represent commission in hearings or appeals under Sec. 4-61dd(b)(3); P.A. 15-18 made a technical change in Subsec. (b), effective June 5, 2015; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 15-5 amended Subsec. (b) by replacing reference to Sec. 4-61dd(e)(2) with reference to Sec. 4-61dd(e)(2)(A) and adding “Commission legal counsel may intervene as a matter of right in any such hearing or appeal without permission of the parties, a hearing officer or the court.”; P.A. 19-16 added Subsec. (c) re executive director's authority to assign commission legal counsel to bring a civil action re an alleged discriminatory practice; P.A. 19-93 amended Subsec. (c) by adding “provided such discriminatory practice has been established by clear and convincing evidence”; P.A. 22-82 removed references re assignment through the supervising attorney throughout, effective May 24, 2022.

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