Micronesia · Courts
Court structure of Micronesia
Every tier of the judiciary, what it hears, and where an appeal goes next.
The hierarchy, top to bottom
- Final appellate — FSM Supreme Court, Appellate Division
- Final national court; no external appeal.
- Superior first instance — FSM Supreme Court, Trial Division
- National jurisdiction, including admiralty, interstate and constitutional matters.
- State superior — State supreme courts
- Chuuk, Kosrae, Pohnpei and Yap each have their own supreme court for state law.
- First instance — State and municipal courts
- Local criminal, civil and land matters under state law.
- Customary — Traditional leaders and customary forums
- Yap's Councils of Pilung and Tamol have constitutional functions; other states recognise custom through their courts.
Every court in the hierarchy
- supremePalikir, PohnpeiFSM Supreme Court, Appellate DivisionFinal appeals from the Trial Division and from state supreme courts on questions of national law, and constitutional review of national legislation and executive action.
- first-instancePalikir, PohnpeiFSM Supreme Court, Trial DivisionNational-law matters: constitutional questions, admiralty and maritime, disputes between states or between a state and the national government, diversity cases, and national offences.
- appellateWeno, Tofol, Kolonia and ColoniaState Supreme Courts of Chuuk, Kosrae, Pohnpei and YapAll matters of state law in their state, including land tenure, inheritance, probate and local offences, with appellate jurisdiction over municipal courts.
Found something out of date on Micronesia · Courts?
Corrections are reviewed against the primary source before anything changes.