GUAM Supreme Court Chief Justice Robert J. Torres welcomed judges, attorneys and legal scholars from across the Pacific region to the Pacific Judicial Council’s midyear conference held Sept. 24-26 at the Crowne Plaza Resort on Saipan.
Torres, who also serves as PJC president, opened the three-day event with remarks emphasizing regional unity, institutional growth, and the importance of addressing emerging legal challenges.
“It’s an honor to welcome all of you — judges, colleagues, attorneys, and distinguished guests — to our midyear conference here in Saipan,” Torres said. He extended special thanks to the justices, judges, and staff of the NMI District Court and the CNMI Judiciary for their support in organizing and hosting the event.
“The gathering today reflects the strength of our Pacific legal family — lawyers and judges,” he added.
Conference sessions covered topics including constitutional and statutory interpretation, judicial conduct, pretrial practice, and the rapid rise of artificial intelligence in legal systems.
“We’re fortunate to have eminent jurists, scholars, and practitioners who will bring wisdom and experience that will help us grow as legal minds and strengthen our institutions,” Torres said.
He also highlighted the importance of interjurisdictional collaboration and reaffirmed the council’s commitment to justice across island communities.
“This is a time for us to renew our bonds across the island jurisdictions, to share our challenges and innovations, and to reaffirm our commitment to justice as servants of our communities,” Torres said. He closed by thanking attendees who traveled from neighboring islands and expressed hope that the conference would leave participants with “fresh insights and renewed dedication to upholding the rule of law.”
As part of the conference, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit Chief Judge Mary Murguia, along with Judges M. Margaret McKeown and Johnnie Rawlinson, heard appellate arguments at the District Court for the NMI in Gualo Rai on Wednesday.
Two cases — 25-1088, United States v. Weng, and 25-1692, United States v. Yang — involved an alleged conspiracy to smuggle a group of Chinese nationals from Saipan to Guam without immigration authority approval. A third case, 24-5761, United States v. Sablan, concerned an appeal of a sentence imposed following the revocation of supervised release for a Guamanian convicted of firearm and drug offenses.
The Ninth Circuit judges also met with Moot Court and Mock Trial students, answering questions about legal proceedings and judicial processes.
The Pacific Judicial Council is composed of member jurisdictions from American Samoa, the Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Republic of Palau. The council promotes judicial education, cooperation and dialogue among Pacific Island courts.
Pacific Judicial Council President and Guam Supreme Court Chief Justice Robert J. Torres welcomes regional law practitioners at the judicial conference held at Crowne Plaza Resort from Sept. 24 to 26.
Judges, attorneys and legal scholars have lunch during a break from the Pacific Judicial Council conference at Crowne Plaza Resort.
Guam Supreme Court Chief Judge Robert J. Torres
