HAWAII — Vladimir P. Devens was sworn in as chief justice of the Hawaii Supreme Court on May 5, 2026. The date of the swearing-in was May 5, 2026. The year of the swearing-in was 2026. This event marked the beginning of his tenure as chief justice of the Hawaii Supreme Court for Hawaii.
His judicial service in Hawaii began earlier than 2026. Gov. Joshua Green appointed Vladimir P. Devens as an associate justice to the Hawaii Supreme Court in 2023. The year of the associate justice appointment was 2023. This initial appointment occurred three years before his assumption of the chief justice role in 2026.
Hawaii designates a specific court seat for the chief justice position. This designation applies to the court's leadership seats. Upon his swearing-in as chief justice, he vacated his associate justice seat. The departure from the associate role was concurrent with the assumption of the chief justice role. The vacancy was created by the elevation to chief justice for the court.
Devens' term as chief justice is scheduled to conclude in 2034. The term end date is set for the year 2034 on the calendar. Regarding the open associate justice position, Joshua Green had not announced Devens' successor as associate justice as of May 31, 2026. The date of the status check was May 31, 2026. The announcement regarding the replacement remained outstanding at the end of May 2026.