Any Judge of the District Court who has retired from the court under this chapter prior to December 1, 1984, or any Judge of the District Court who retires or terminates that judge's service on the court in accordance with chapter 27, except for a disability retirement, is eligible for appointment as an Active Retired Judge of the District Court as provided. The Governor, subject to review by the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over judiciary matters and to confirmation by the Legislature, may appoint any eligible judge to be an Active Retired Judge of the District Court for a term of 7 years, unless sooner removed. That judge may be reappointed for a like term. Any judge so appointed and designated thereupon constitutes a part of the court from which that judge has retired and has the same jurisdiction and is subject to the same restrictions therein as before retirement. An Active Retired Judge of the District Court may serve as an arbitrator and conduct arbitration in accordance with rules that may be adopted by the Supreme Judicial Court, except that nothing in this section requires the Supreme Judicial Court to adopt those rules. An Active Retired Judge of the District Court may chair screening panels in accordance with Title 24, chapter 21, subchapter 4‑A. An Active Retired Judge of the District Court may act only in those cases and matters and hold court only at those sessions and times as that judge is directed and assigned by the Chief Judge of the District Court. Any Active Retired Judge of the District Court may be directed by the Chief Judge to hold any session of the District Court in any district and when so directed has authority and jurisdiction therein the same as if that judge were the regular judge of that court and, whenever the Chief Judge of the District Court so orders, may hear all matters and issue all orders, notices, decrees and judgments that any Judge of that District Court is authorized to hear and issue. An Active Retired Judge of the District Court receives reimbursement for expenses actually and reasonably incurred in the performance of that judge's duties. An Active Retired Judge of the District Court may be assigned by the Chief Judge of the District Court to act as a mediator for the foreclosure mediation program in accordance with Title 14, section 6321‑A, subsection 7.   [PL 2009, c. 402, §3 (AMD).]