Chief Justice Hugh Thompson told state lawmakers Wednesday that the Supreme Court of Georgia should only handle the most critical cases.

"The intent is to free up the state’s highest court to devote more time and more energy to the most complex and most difficult cases that have the greatest implications for the law," he said.

Thompson said the Court of Appeals of Georgia should handle lesser cases dealing with issues like wills, land titles, divorce, and alimony--a recommendation recently made by Gov. Nathan Deal's judicial review commission.

Absent from the address was any direct mention of Gov. Deal's plan to add two new justices to the Supreme Court.