(a) Terms of court. The Hawai'i appellate courts shall be deemed to be in continuous session. (b) Signing of orders. Any justice or substitute justice of the supreme court and any judge or substitute judge of the intermediate court of appeals, may sign any order of the appellate court on which the judge or justice sits relating to any case or proceeding pending before such court.(c) Acting chief justice. In case of a vacancy in the office of the chief justice, or if the chief justice is ill, absent, or otherwise unable to serve, the senior of the associate justices available shall serve temporarily in the chief justice's stead. Seniority for such purpose shall be determined by the length of the current service on the supreme court. The order of seniority among associate justices with equal current service on the court shall correspond to the order in which they were admitted to practice before the supreme court. The associate justices may, upon unanimous agreement, designate from time to time or for a particular case, any one of their number to act as chief justice when the chief justice is for any reason unable to serve. Such designation shall be in writing and filed with the appellate clerk.(d) Acting chief judge. In case of a vacancy in the office of the chief judge, or if the chief judge is ill, absent, or otherwise unable to serve, the senior of the associate judges available shall serve temporarily in the chief judge's stead. Seniority for such purpose shall be determined by the length of the current service on the court. The order of seniority among associate judges with equal current service on the intermediate appellate court shall correspond to the order in which they were admitted to practice before the supreme court. The associate judges may, upon unanimous agreement, designate from time to time or for a particular case, any one of their number to act as chief judge when the chief judge is for any reason unable to serve. Such designation shall be in writing and filed with the appellate clerk.(f) through (h). Deleted.Amended March 25, 1986, effective 3/25/1986; further amended December 6, 1999, effective 1/1/2000.