Northern Mariana Islands in the United States

The Northern Mariana Islands are a collection of islands in the Pacific under the jurisdiction of the United States. Information about the Northern Mariana Islands and primary legal materials are posted on the Commonwealth Law Revision Commission’s home page (http://cnmilaw.org).

The Northern Mariana Islands Law Revision Commission is a judicial branch commission established pursuant to 1 CMC § 3801 – 3810. The Northern Mariana Islands Commission’s principal duties include the codification and publication of all permanent CNMI laws and regulations and the official reporting of CNMI Supreme Court opinions.

Northern Mariana Islands Constitution

The Commonwealth Constitution was drafted by thirty-nine elected delegates meeting in a constitutional convention on Saipan in 1976. Their proposed constitution was subsequently ratified by Northern Mariana Islands voters on March 6, 1977, and became effective January 9, 1978. The original ratified 1976 Constitution (unamended) and the latest Constitution (with amendments and case annotations) is reprinted in the Northern Mariana Islands Commonwealth Code and is also sold in pamphlet format by the Commonwealth Law Revision Commission.

Many provisions of the Commonwealth Constitution are mandated by the Covenant, including the bill of rights in Article I, the separate executive, legislative and judicial branches established in Articles II, III and IV, and the provision in Article XII restricting acquisition of long-term interests in land to persons of Northern Marianas descent.

Proposed Constitutional amendments must be ratified by Commonwealth voters. The procedure for adopting amendments is specified in the Constitution. See Article XVIII. As of May 2005, voters have ratified fifty-two proposed amendments. A brief history of amendments follows:

In 1985, voters ratified forty-four amendments proposed by a second constitutional convention that convened that year. (One 1985 amendment, concerning Section 8 of the Constitution’s Schedule on Transitional Matters, was subsequently ruled invalid in a legal challenge.)

In 1987, 1989, 1993, 1997, and 1999 voters ratified a total of eight amendments proposed by legislative initiative.

Prior to November 1999, twenty-one proposed amendments failed to win approval from voters, including nineteen amendments proposed by a third constitutional convention that convened in 1995 (which were voted upon in a special election held in March 1996), an amendment proposed by popular initiative in 1989, and an amendment proposed by legislative initiative in 1995.

Northern Mariana Islands Codes

Codes include:

Northern Mariana Islands Commonwealth Code
Northern Mariana Islands Administrative Code

Northern Mariana Islands LEGISLATIVE BRANCH

Recent additions include, in relation to Public Laws:

Public Law 19-24
Public Law 19-23
Public Law 19-22

Local Laws:

Saipan Local Law 19-10
Rota Local Law 19-06
Tinian Local Law 19-08

Northern Mariana Islands JUDICIAL BRANCH

Recent additions in relation to Supreme Court Slip Opinions include:

In re the Matter of Woodruff, 2015-MP-11
Commonwealth v. Borja, 2015-MP-10
In re Ogumoro, 2015-MP-09

About Superior Court; in relation to Published Orders:

Commonwealth v. Pascual, CR15-0174
Commonwealth v. Nowell, CR01-0062
Commonwealth v. Mondala, CR15-0174

About Northern Mariana Islands Court Rules:

NMI Rules for Mandatory Alternative Dispute Resolution
NMI Judicial Branch Personnel Rules
NMI Rules of Attorney Discipline and Procedure