Criminal
Recodified Penal Code in PNC title 17 on a US model
Offences and sentencing are set out in title 17 of the Palau National Code, substantially recodified in 2014 on a United States model, and prosecuted by the Attorney General.
Key rules
- Jurisdiction — National. The Supreme Court trial division tries serious offences; the Court of Common Pleas handles lesser matters.
Governing law
- Palau National Code, title 17crimes
- Palau Rules of Criminal Procedure
- Constitution of Palau 1981 (art. IV, ss. 6-7)
- Anti-Human Trafficking Act 2005
In practice
Title 17 was comprehensively recodified in 2014, replacing accumulated Trust Territory era provisions with a graded modern penal code including codified culpability standards, offence classes and structured sentencing, drawing on the US Model Penal Code. Article IV of the Constitution guarantees due process, counsel, protection against self-incrimination and freedom from unreasonable search, and Palauan courts draw on United States authority in construing them. There is no death penalty. Prosecution is conducted by the Office of the Attorney General, and the Public Defender provides representation, though capacity is limited. Environmental and fisheries offences carry unusual prominence: illegal fishing within the Palau National Marine Sanctuary attracts substantial penalties and vessel forfeiture, and enforcement is a genuine priority rather than a formality.