Guam Supreme Court Chief Justice Robert J. Torres welcomed judges, attorneys and legal scholars from across the Pacific region to the Pacific Judicial Council’s mid-year conference, held this week in Saipan, with a message underscoring unity, innovation and a shared commitment to justice.
Torres, who also serves as PJC president, expressed gratitude to the Northern Mariana Islands Judiciary for hosting the three-day event at the Crowne Plaza Resort from Sept. 24 to 26.
“The gathering today reflects the strength of our Pacific legal family—lawyers and judges,” Torres said. “It’s an honor to welcome all of you to our mid-year conference here in Saipan.”
Throughout the conference, participants will engage in sessions on constitutional and statutory interpretation, judicial conduct, pretrial practices and the rapid rise of artificial intelligence in legal systems.
Torres emphasized the value of the expertise present, noting that contributions from jurists, scholars and practitioners would help strengthen both individual legal minds and the institutions they serve.
“Equally important,” he added, “this is a time for us to renew our bonds across the island jurisdictions, to share our challenges and our innovations, and to reaffirm our commitment to justice as servants of our communities.”
As part of the conference, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit held appellate arguments at the District Court in Gualo Rai on Sept. 24.
The Pacific Judicial Council is a regional body composed of member jurisdictions from American Samoa, the Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and the Republic of Palau. Its mission is to promote judicial education, cooperation and interjurisdictional dialogue among Pacific Island courts.
