At 11:15 a.m. Friday, April 21, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Judiciary, in collaboration with the Judiciary of Guam, will hold a proclamation signing ceremony to recognize May 1-5 as Law Week in the commonwealth and Guam, the Judiciary of the NMI announced in a press release.
For the first time, the ceremony will be livestreamed and will feature simultaneous signings at five venues — Supreme Court of Guam, Guma’ Hustisia in Saipan, U.S. District Court, Kotten Tinian and Rota Centron Hustisia, the Judiciary stated in the release.
According to the release, Law Week is an annual event in the commonwealth that celebrates the rule of law and the principles of constitutional government. It is part of a national celebration that dates back to 1958, when President Dwight D. Eisenhower first established a day of national dedication to the principles of government under law.
This year’s Law Week theme is “Cornerstones of Democracy: Civics, Civility and Collaboration.” The April 21 signing ceremony will feature remarks from the justices of the Guam and NMI Supreme Courts and Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona of the U.S. District Court, as well as remarks from CNMI Gov. Arnold I. Palacios, CNMI Lt. Gov. David M. Apatang, Guam Gov. Lou A. Leon Guerrero, Guam Lt. Gov. Joshua F. Tenorio and legislative branch officials. The ceremony will be on simultaneous broadcast by the Judiciary of Guam and KUAM-TV.
In the commonwealth, several other events are planned to commemorate Law Week. On May 1, the winners of the elementary school poster contest and middle school essay contest will be announced. On May 5, the Supreme Court will host the Attorney General’s Cup, an annual speech competition for high school students. Justices and judges have also been visiting middle and elementary schools throughout Saipan, Tinian and Rota as part of the “Justices and Judges in the Classroom” program. In addition, the CNMI Judiciary will sponsor ceremonies recognizing May as Drug Court Month and Mental Health Awareness Month, the branch stated in the release.
For additional information, please contact director of courts Sonia A. Camacho at 670-236-9807 or Soniac@NMIJudiciary.gov.
