Whenever it is found by the judge of a circuit court that a clerk of such court is, by reason of mental or physical disability, temporarily unable to perform his duties, the judge of the court may, by order entered of record, designate some other person as deputy clerk to perform the duties of such clerk. The person so designated may be the clerk or deputy clerk of another county or city or any other qualified person, and in the event that he is from another county or city, the provisions of §§ 15.2-1525 and 15.2-1534 shall not apply.

The person so designated shall thereby become a deputy of the regular clerk and shall be vested with all the authority of a regular clerk and may perform all acts which are required by law to be performed by such clerk with the same effect as if performed by the clerk for whom he serves as deputy, and shall before entering upon his duties take the oath prescribed in § 49-1, and furnish bond in the same amount as is required of the clerk.

The person so designated shall serve at the pleasure of the court during the disability of the clerk and within the limits of the unexpired term of the clerk.

No compensation out of the state or local treasury shall be paid such person designated under this section for his services while acting in such capacity but any expense incurred shall be paid by the county or city in which such service is performed upon the order of the judge of such court.

Code 1950, § 15-485.1; 1952, c. 187; 1962, c. 623, § 15.1-49; 1993, cc. 621, 781; 1997, c. 587.