At his state of the judiciary address Friday at the New Jersey State Bar Association annual meeting in Atlantic City, state Supreme Court Chief Justice Stuart Rabner abandoned his planned address to voice his objections to a proposed constitutional amendment that would change the way Appellate Division judges are selected.

Rabner said he had planned to speak about a range of topics, including the Supreme Court Committee on Wellness in the Law, the retirement of Associate Justice Lee A. Solomon, the judiciary’s opportunities for building success program, and the evolution and impact of artificial intelligence on the legal community. Instead, he addressed the proposed amendment that would put the appointment power in the hands of the Legislature.