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The judiciary of Palau is a branch of the
The judiciary of Palau is a branch of the government of Palau
The politics of Palau take place in a presidential representative democratic republic, whereby the President of Palau is both head of state and head of government. Palau currently has no political parties and is a ''de facto'' non-partisan demo ...
that interprets and applies the laws of Palau, as modified by custom and tradition, to ensure equal justice under law
Equal justice under law is a phrase engraved on the West Pediment, above the front entrance of the United States Supreme Court building in Washington D.C. It is also a societal ideal that has influenced the American legal system.
The phrase wa ...
, and to provide a mechanism for dispute resolution. The judiciary comprises a four-member Supreme Court, a Court of Common Pleas
A court of common pleas is a common kind of court structure found in various common law jurisdictions. The form originated with the Court of Common Pleas at Westminster, which was created to permit individuals to press civil grievances against one ...
, and a Land Court. The Supreme Court has a trial division and an appellate division and is presided over by the Chief Justice, assisted by two Associate Justices
Associate justice or associate judge (or simply associate) is a judicial panel member who is not the chief justice in some jurisdictions. The title "Associate Justice" is used for members of the Supreme Court of the United States and some state ...
in the Appellate Division and three Justices in the Trial Division. A number of ''ad hoc'' part-time Associate Justices are invited to sit on an as-needed basis.
The Trial Division sits in Koror, the largest town of Palau, while Appellate Division hears most arguments in the capital, Ngerulmud
Ngerulmud () is the seat of government of the Republic of Palau, an island nation in the Pacific Ocean. It replaced Koror City, Palau's largest city, as the capital in 2006. The settlement is located in the state of Melekeok on Babeldaob, the ...
. Cases are adjudicated by a single justice in the Trial Division and appeals are heard by three other justices as a panel in the Appellate Division. The Trial Division has jurisdiction over all civil matters over $10,000 and criminal matters not assigned to the Court of Common Pleas and adjudication of land interests. The Supreme Court also handles disciplinary and other special proceedings.
History
The judiciary was created in 1981 when the Supreme Court was established, with Mamoru Nakamura as the first Chief Justice, until his death in 1992. Nakamura has previously been the first Micronesian Associate Justice of the High Court of theTrust Territory of the Pacific Islands
The Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands (TTPI) was a United Nations trust territory in Micronesia administered by the United States from 1947 to 1994.
History
Spain initially claimed the islands that later composed the territory of the Trus ...
. In 1992, Arthur Ngiraklsong was appointed as the second Chief Justice, and in 2020, upon Justice Ngiraklsong's retirement Oldiais Ngiraikelau assumed the position. In 2010, the judicial system was changed to use trial by jury
A jury trial, or trial by jury, is a legal proceeding in which a jury makes a decision or findings of fact. It is distinguished from a bench trial in which a judge or panel of judges makes all decisions.
Jury trials are used in a significan ...
.
See also
* Politics of Palau *History of Palau
Palau was initially settled around 1000 BC.
For the first time, Palau was probably sighted by Europeans early as 1522, when the Spanish mission of the Trinidad, the flagship of Ferdinand Magellan's voyage of circumnavigation, sighted two small is ...
References
External links
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Judiciary Of Palau