The 4, involving construction or validity : any law of the United States, or of ar law or regulation of the Territory, « any written enactment intended have the force of law of any offici: board, or body in the Territory. High Court is the highest judicial authority in the Territory. It has Appeilate and Trial Divisions. The Appellate Division, for a particular case, regularly consists of three (although two form a quorum) of the High Court judges assigned by the Chief Justice. The concurrence of two judges is necessary to decide any appeal. A judge who hearsa case in the Trial Division is disqualified to sit on that case in the Appellate Division. The Trial Division sits regularly, presided over by a single judge on a circuit-riding basis in the different dis- + ee a tricts. In murder cases, however, he must be assisted by two of the special judges for the district where thetrial is to be held. These special judges are appointed by the High Commissioner and at present are all also district court judges. In hearing a murder case at a non-jury trial, the special judges cast equal votes with the presiding judge in deciding, by majority vote, questions of fact and sentence. In a jury trial, however, the special judges vote only on the question of sentence, with the presiding judge deciding all questions of law involved in the trial and the outcome of the case. The Appellate Division of the High Court has jurisdiction to review, on appeal, the decisions of the Trial Division of the High Court in the following instances: The Appellate Division of the Hig Court mayalso, in its discretion and 1 certain cases, review on appeal de cisions directly from a district o community court. The Trial jurisdiction in Division all has cases, originz civil an criminal, including probate, admiralt: and maritime matters and the adju dication of title to land or any interes’ therein. It also has jurisdiction tc review on appeal decisions of th district courts and to review on the record final decisions of the distric courts and community courts fo: which no appeal is made. Three sittings of the Appellat« Division were held during the year— one each on Koror, Majuro, anc (1) All cases tried originally in the High Court. Guam. As far as practicable, oral arguments, if not waived, are heard in the district from which the appeal! came. (2) All cases decided by the High Court on appeal from a district court, Sittings of the Trial Division were held as follows: District Marianas te sere es (3) All cases decided by the Hig Court on review of the record of district or community court decisio in which the High Court has reverse or modified the decision so as to affec the substantial rights of the appellan- Number ofSittings 4 Location Justice Saipan Chief Justice Temporary Judge Associate Justice, Koror 28 soe Part V—Political Advancement ~ores ri bs a a es raci & . on re es reer Fi oo i = ve “4 3}