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Rule 383.Motions for Supervisory Orders

Article III. Civil Appeals Rules · Part G. Original Actions in Supreme Court · Last amended 2017 · Last verified July 20, 2026

In one sentenceRule 383 sets the procedure for asking the Supreme Court to use its supervisory authority over a lower court's action.

Full Text of Ill. S. Ct. R. 383

Text sizeJump to: (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f)

(a) A motion requesting the exercise of the Supreme Court’s supervisory authority shall be supported by explanatory suggestions and shall contain or have attached to it the lower court records or other pertinent material that will fully present the issues, authenticated as required by Rule 328.
(b) The motion, explanatory suggestions, and all supporting documents must be served upon the other parties, including the nominal party or parties, and proof of service filed at the time the motion is filed.
(c) A person whose act is the subject of this proceeding shall be designated as a respondent. A respondent need not respond to the motion unless instructed to do so by the court, and failure to respond will not admit any of the allegations contained in the motion. The prevailing party or parties below shall file appropriate documents for that respondent but shall not file any document in the name of the respondent.
(d) The prevailing party below shall have 7 days after personal or e-mail service of the motion, or 14 days after mailing of the motion if service is by mail, or 14 days after delivery of the motion to a third-party commercial carrier if service is by delivery to a third-party commercial carrier, or within such further time as the court or a judge thereof may allow, to file any objections to the motion, and service shall be made upon the movant and proof of service filed with the clerk of the court.
(e) Illegible documents shall not be filed.
(f) Oral argument shall be permitted only if requested by the court.
End

Plain-English Summary

A motion for a supervisory order asks the Supreme Court to step in and use its supervisory authority over something a lower court has done, often as a faster or better-fitting alternative to a full mandamus action. Rule 383 requires the motion to come with explanatory suggestions and the pertinent lower court records or other material needed to present the issue, authenticated the way Rule 328 requires.

The person whose act is being challenged is named as the respondent, but that respondent doesn't have to respond unless the court says so, and staying silent doesn't concede any of the motion's allegations — the party that won below can file documents on the respondent's behalf, just not in the respondent's own name. The prevailing party below then gets a set window to object, and oral argument happens only if the court itself asks for it.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a motion for a supervisory order used for?
Asking the Supreme Court to exercise its supervisory authority over a lower court's action, often instead of pursuing a full mandamus action.
What has to accompany the motion?
Explanatory suggestions and the pertinent lower court records or other material needed to present the issues, authenticated as required by Rule 328.
Who is named as the "respondent" in these motions?
The person whose act is the subject of the proceeding, though that respondent doesn't have to respond unless the court instructs it to.
How long does the prevailing party below have to object?
7 days after personal or email service of the motion, or 14 days after service by mail or delivery to a commercial carrier.
Is oral argument available on a motion for a supervisory order?
Only if the court itself requests it.

Committee Comments

This procedure is intended to discourage a practice which has developed since 1971 by which parties petition for leave to file a petition for mandamus or, in the alternative, for a supervisory order, in cases in which mandamus would be an inappropriate remedy.

Amendment History

Adopted August 9, 1983, effective October 1, 1983; amended February 27, 1987, effective April 1, 1987; amended December 17, 1993, effective February 1, 1994; amended March 1, 2001, effective immediately; amended December 29, 2009, effective immediately; amended February 10, 2014, effective immediately; amended March 14, 2014, effective immediately; amended Dec. 9, 2015, eff. Jan. 1, 2016; amended June 22, 2017, eff. July 1, 2017.

Source & verification. Rule text, official Committee Comments, and amendment history are reproduced verbatim from the Illinois Supreme Court Rules, promulgated by the Supreme Court of Illinois. Last verified July 20, 2026. · Official source
Also known as: motion for supervisory order Illinoissupreme court supervisory authorityalternative to mandamussupervisory order procedure