Whenever the public interest shall require the holding of a special session of the court of general sessions or the court of common pleas in any county of the State and such fact satisfactorily appears (a) by petition of the solicitor of the judicial circuit in which such county is situate in the case of the court of general sessions or (b) by petition of a majority of the members of the bar of such county in the case of the court of common pleas, such petitions having been first approved by the resident circuit judge or the circuit judge last presiding in such county and duly filed with the clerk of the Supreme Court, a special session of the court of general sessions or common pleas may be ordered for any such county by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. The special session of court so ordered shall be held at such time and for such term and such notice of the holding thereof shall be given as may be provided in the order therefor, which shall be transmitted to and filed by the clerk of court of the county.