By Bryan Manabat
bryan@mvariety.com
Variety News Staff
THE CNMI Judiciary will begin closing its facilities to the public every Friday afternoon starting Feb. 13, citing steep budget cuts under Public Law 24-20. Gov. David M. Apatang signed the measure into law on Dec. 23, 2025.
In an administrative order issued Jan. 16, the CNMI Supreme Court said the reduced hours are necessary after the Judiciary received $5.7 million for fiscal year 2026 — less than half of its $13.6 million budget request. The order cites the court’s constitutional authority to manage its operations in response to the fiscal shortfall.
Under the directive, all Judiciary facilities will close from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. every Friday until further notice. When a legal holiday falls on a Friday, the closure will shift to the preceding Thursday afternoon. Affected holidays include Good Friday, Juneteenth, and Independence Day.
Despite the reduced hours, the court said bail, family protection, emergency, and other time-sensitive matters may still be scheduled as needed. Judiciary personnel may also be activated for essential services, with supervisors determining reporting requirements. Electronic filing systems, including File & ServeXpress and eRecording, will remain available during the closures.
The order was signed by Chief Justice Alexandro C. Castro, Associate Justice John A. Manglona, and Associate Justice Perry B. Inos.
Public Law 24-20, the fiscal year 2026 appropriations act, repealed and reenacted the prior budget law to define general revenues and allocate funding across government agencies. The Judiciary said its appropriation — $5,724,250 — represented one of the largest proportional reductions in the budget, prompting warnings from court officials that operations, staffing, and public access would be affected.
The new operating schedule marks the first major adjustment announced since the law took effect on Jan. 1.
Court officials have not indicated how long the reduced hours will remain in place, saying only that the order will continue “until further notice.”
Bryan Manabat was a liberal arts student of Northern Marianas College where he also studied criminal justice. He is the recipient of the NMI Humanities Award as an Outstanding Teacher (Non-Classroom) in 2013, and has worked for the CNMI Motheread/Fatheread Literacy Program as lead facilitator.
