HRS §602-3
Who can act when the chief justice is unavailable
This section says that if the chief justice cannot do a job because the position is empty, or because they are sick, away, or unable to serve, another justice chosen by the court's rules can do it instead. It only covers this situation.
courts
The statute, as written — Absence, disability, etc., of chief justice
Wherever, by the provisions of any law of the State, any act is required to be performed by the chief justice of the supreme court, the act may (unless otherwise expressly provided) be performed, in case of a vacancy in the office of chief justice, or if the chief justice is ill, absent, or otherwise unable to serve, by an associate justice of the court designated in accordance with the rules of the supreme court.
LawTrove is not legal advice. The summary above is a computer-generated restatement — the authoritative text is the official version linked above.