§1424–1. Local courts; composition; appellate court; jurisdiction; practice and procedure; qualifications and duties of judges

(a) Composition; establishment of appellate court

The local courts of Guam shall consist of such trial court or courts as may have been or may hereafter be established by the laws of Guam. On or after the effective date of this Act, the legislature of Guam may in its discretion establish an appellate court.

(b) Jurisdiction

The legislature may vest in the local courts jurisdiction over all causes in Guam over which any court established by the Constitution and laws of the United States does not have exclusive jurisdiction. Such jurisdiction shall be subject to the exclusive or concurrent jurisdiction conferred on the District Court of Guam by section 1424(b) of this title.

(c) Practice and procedure; qualifications and duties of judges

The practice and procedure in the local courts and the qualifications and duties of the judges thereof shall be governed by the laws of Guam and the rules of those courts.

(Aug. 1, 1950, ch. 512, §22A, as added Oct. 5, 1984, Pub. L. 98–454, title VIII, §801, 98 Stat. 1742 .)

References in Text

The effective date of this Act, referred to in subsec. (a), is the effective date of title VIII of Pub. L. 98–454, which is 90 days after Oct. 5, 1984.

Effective Date

Section effective on ninetieth day following Oct. 5, 1984, see section 1005 of Pub. L. 98–454, set out as an Effective Date of 1984 Amendment note under section 1424 of this title.

Section Referred to in Other Sections

This section is referred to in sections 1424, 1424–2, 1424–3 of this title.