Inherent Authority to Appoint a Guardian Ad Litem In New York

In Matter of John Doe, 184 Misc. 2d 519, 521 (Sup. Ct. Queens Cty. 2000), counsel for the respondent in an arbitration proceeding before the New York Stock Exchange asked the court to appoint a guardian ad litem for respondent in conjunction with the arbitration, whom counsel claimed was of unsound mind and incapable of managing his affairs. Id. at 519. The court denied the application, concluding that the original and general jurisdiction of the Supreme Court does not vest in the court the inherent authority to appoint a guardian ad litem over a respondent in a proceeding before a contractual forum. Id. at 521.