Johnson v. Sysco Food Services

DICKINSON, Presiding Justice,

for the Court.

¶ 1. Today we address the constitutionality of direct appeals from the Workers’ Compensation Commission (“Commission”) to this Court. We hold that they are constitutional, and that this Court has appellate jurisdiction over direct appeals from the Commission.

BACKGROUND

¶ 2. A 2011 amendment to Section 71-3-51 provides that, “from and after July 1, 2011,” decisions of the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission may be appealed directly to this Court, rather than to the circuit court, as required under the previous version of the statute.1 On July…