Marshall Islands · Courts
Court structure of Marshall Islands
Every tier of the judiciary, what it hears, and where an appeal goes next.
The hierarchy, top to bottom
- Final appellate — Supreme Court of the Marshall Islands
- Three justices; final constitutional and appellate authority with no external appeal.
- Superior first instance — High Court
- General original jurisdiction and appeals from subordinate courts.
- Constitutional customary — Traditional Rights Court
- Determines questions of customary law and traditional title; its determinations bind on the questions referred.
- First instance — District and Community Courts
- Minor criminal and civil matters at atoll level.
- Specialist — Nuclear Claims Tribunal
- Adjudicates personal injury and land damage claims arising from US nuclear testing.
Every court in the hierarchy
- supremeMajuroSupreme Court of the Marshall IslandsFinal appeals from the High Court, and constitutional review of legislation and executive action.
- first-instanceMajuroHigh Court of the Marshall IslandsGeneral original jurisdiction in civil and criminal matters, and appeals from the District, Community and Traditional Rights Courts.
- specialisedMajuroTraditional Rights CourtDetermines questions of customary law and traditional practice referred to it, particularly land tenure, chiefly (iroij) title and inheritance.
- specialisedMajuroNuclear Claims TribunalClaims for personal injury and property damage arising from the United States nuclear testing programme in the Marshall Islands.
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