Title 1, Government

Acquisition of Information by Other Lawful Means. Nothing contained in this chapter shall be construed to limit or prohibit the acquisition of evidence or information by an investigating committee by any lawful means not provided for in this chapter. Source: See 2 TTC § 277.

Office of the Attorney General. There is in the Commonwealth government an office of the Attorney General to be headed by an Attorney General. Source: PL 1-8, tit. 1, ch. 3, § 1, modified. Commission Comment: Executive Order 94-3, the “Second Reorganization Plan of 1994” (effecti…

Attorney General: Appointment. The Attorney General shall be appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate. No person may be appointed as Attorney General unless the person has: (a) Graduated from an English-speaking accredited law school, and who, at the ti…

Attorney General: Duties. The Attorney General shall have the powers and duties as provided in the Commonwealth Constitution. In addition, the Attorney General shall have the following powers and duties: (a) To maintain the seal of the Commonwealth and to authenticate official ac…

Attorney General: Staff. (a) The Attorney General may employ staff, including one or more assistant attorneys general, as required to assist in performing the duties of the Attorney General, subject to budgetary appropriation. No person may be appointed as assistant attorney gene…

Office of Consumer Counsel. There is within the office of the Attorney General the office of Consumer Counsel, headed by an attorney employed by the Attorney General as the Consumer Counsel. Source: PL 6-46, § 16. Commission Comment: PL 6-46, the “Consumer Protection Act of 1989,…

Consumer Counsel: Duties. The Consumer Counsel shall have the following duties: (a) To coordinate the consumer protection activities of the Commonwealth government. (b) To advise and make recommendations to the Governor and to the legislature on matters affecting consumers. (c) T…

Consumer Counsel: Staff. Subject to the availability of appropriated funds, the Attorney General may employ such other personnel in the office of Consumer Counsel as may be necessary for the purposes of this chapter. Source: PL 6-46, § 18.

GENERAL PROVISIONS § 311. Legal Holidays. The following days of each year are hereby declared as legal holidays within the Commonwealth. New Year’s Day Martin Luther King, Jr. Day President’s Day Commonwealth Covenant Day Good Friday Memorial Day Independence Day Labor Day Common…

GENERAL PROVISIONS § 312. Legal Holidays: Leave with Pay. All government employees shall receive leave with pay on each legal holiday. Any employee required to work on a legal holiday shall be paid double his or her regular salary. Source: PL 1-11, § 3, modified.

GENERAL PROVISIONS § 313. Legal Holidays: Weekends. If a holiday falls on a Saturday, it shall be celebrated on the preceding Friday. If a holiday falls on a Sunday, it shall be celebrated on the following Monday. Source: PL 1-11, § 4, modified.

GENERAL PROVISIONS § 321. Special Days: “Ha’anen Man Amko.” (a) To honor senior citizens, 60 years and older, in the Commonwealth, the fourth Sunday of May is hereby designated as “Ha’anen Man Amko.” (b) The Governor of the Commonwealth shall announce annually the observance of t…

GENERAL PROVISIONS § 322. Special Days: “Ha’anen Retiru.” (a) To honor those individuals who retired after lengthy service to the Commonwealth government or its predecessors, the first Sunday of October is hereby designated as “Ha’anen Retiru.” (b) The Governor of the Commonwealt…

GENERAL PROVISIONS § 323. Designation of Legal Holiday. The fourth day of November of each year is hereby declared a legal holiday in the Commonwealth, to be known as Citizenship Day. Source: PL 5-21, § 2. Commission Comment: PL 5-21 took effect November 3, 1986. According to PL …

Commonwealth Judiciary. The judiciary of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands shall consist of all of the judges and justices of the Commonwealth courts in active service. Source: PL 6-25, § 3, ch. 3 (§ 3301).

Appointment and Term of Office; Vacancies. (a) The Governor shall appoint the Commonwealth judiciary, with the advice and consent of the Senate. The term of office of judges and justices of the Commonwealth courts shall be six years. However, any Commonwealth judge or justice who…

Qualifications of Judges and Justices. At the time of appointment, a judge or justice of the Commonwealth shall be a citizen or national of the United States and shall possess the following additional qualifications: (a) Shall have been graduated from an English-speaking accredit…

Compensation of Judges. (a) The salary of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court shall be $130,000 per annum. (b) The salary of each full-time Associate Justice of the Supreme Court shall be $126,000 per annum. (c) The salary of the Presiding Judge of the Superior Court shall be …

Appointment of Special Judges. (a) Whenever the prompt and efficient dispatch of the business of any court of the Commonwealth requires the services of one or more judges in addition to those regularly appointed and serving in the Supreme Court or the Superior Court of the Common…

Residence of Judges and Justices. Each judge and justice of the Commonwealth shall reside within the Commonwealth, except that in the case of the appointment of a justice or judge to serve on a less than full-time basis that justice or judge may reside elsewhere. Source: PL 6-25,…

Limitations on Political Activities. A judge or justice of the Commonwealth may not: (a) Make a direct or indirect financial contribution to a political organization or candidate; (b) Hold an executive office in a political organization; (c) Participate in a political campaign; o…

Disqualification of Judges. (a) A justice or judge of the Commonwealth shall disqualify himself or herself in any proceeding in which his or her impartiality might reasonably be questioned. (b) A justice or judge shall also disqualify himself or herself in the following circumsta…

Disqualification Procedure. (a) Whenever a justice or judge of the Commonwealth believes that there are grounds for his or her disqualification, he or she shall, on his or her own initiative, recuse himself or herself and enter a written order of recusal in the record of the proc…

GENERAL PROVISIONS § 331. Island Clean-Up Week. (a) The following dates are hereby designated as island clean-up week each year in the respective islands of Rota, Tinian and Saipan: (1) Rota—October 3 through October 9; (2) Tinian—April 24 through April 30; (3) Saipan—May 8 throu…

Seals of the Mayors. (a) Each mayor shall have an official seal to be used to authenticate official acts, proclamations and other public documents issued by the mayor. (b) The official seal of each mayor shall designate the geographical area of the mayor’s jurisdiction and contai…

Seals of the Mayors: Use and Custody. The official seal of each mayor shall be kept in the custody of the mayor. Each mayor or the designee of the mayor shall personally affix the seal to any document requiring the same. Source: PL 3-24, § 1, modified.

Governor and Lieutenant Governor. A candidate for Governor or Lieutenant Governor shall be qualified to vote in the Commonwealth, at least thirty-five (35) years of age, and a resident and a domiciliary of the Commonwealth for at least ten (10) years immediately preceding the dat…

Senators. A candidate for senator shall be qualified to vote in the Commonwealth, at least twenty-five (25) years of age, and a resident and a domiciliary of the Commonwealth for at least five (5) years immediately preceding the date on which a senator would take office. No perso…

Representatives. A candidate for the House of Representatives shall be qualified to vote in the Commonwealth, at least twenty-one years of age, a resident and a domiciliary of the Commonwealth for at least three years immediately preceding the date on which a representative would…

Delegate to the United States House of Representatives. A candidate for Delegate to the United States House of Representatives shall be qualified to vote in the Commonwealth, a citizen of the United States, at least twenty-five years of age, and a resident and a domiciliary of th…

Mayor. A candidate for mayor shall be qualified to vote in the Commonwealth and on the island or islands served by the mayor, at least twenty-five (25) years of age, a resident and a domiciliary of the island or islands served by the mayor for at least three years immediately pre…

Municipal Council. A candidate for Municipal Council shall be qualified to vote in the Commonwealth and on the island or islands served by the Municipal Council, at least twenty-one (21) years of age, and a resident and a domiciliary of the island or islands served by the Council…

Board of Education. A candidate for the Board of Education shall be qualified to vote in the Commonwealth, at least twenty-five years of age, and a resident and domiciliary of the Commonwealth for at least five years immediately preceding the date on which a member takes office. …

Attorney General. A candidate for the Attorney General shall be at least 35 years of age, a U.S. citizen, and a resident and domiciliary of the Commonwealth for at least 5 years immediately preceding the date on which the Attorney General takes office. Must be an active member in…

Person Eligible for Only One Public Office. No person shall be eligible for more than one public office to be filled in the same election or different elections held at the same time. The term “election” as used in this section includes a general, local, or special election held …

Nominations: Governor and Lieutenant Governor. Any political party may nominate candidates for Governor and Lieutenant Governor by having its chairman and secretary certify to the Commission the names of the party’s team of candidates not more than one-hundred-twenty (120) days a…

Party Nominations: Failure to Comply With Act. The Commission may refuse to accept for filing any petition that, on its face, fails to comply with the requirements of this part. Source: PL 12-18, § 2 (6322). Commission Comment: Section 6322 is similar to the former § 6312 (source…

Party Nominations: Duty of Commission. Upon receipt of the certificate of nomination and petition by any political party, the Commission shall: (a) Determine whether all the requirements of this part have been complied with and that the signatures on the petition are the genuine …

Party Nominations: Failure of Commission to Act. If the Commission does not affirmatively take action to deny certification to a political party’s candidates within forty-five (45) days, prior to the election day, the party’s nominees shall be deemed certified for the general ele…

Party Nominations: Filing Fee. Each petition for a political party candidate for Governor or Lieutenant Governor shall be accompanied by payment to the Commission of a five-hundred dollar ($500.00) filing fee. Source: PL 12-18, § 2 (6325). Commission Comment: Section 6325 is simi…

Independent Nominations: Governor and Lieutenant Governor. (a) The nomination of independent candidates is made by petition designating the persons seeking the nomination for Governor and Lieutenant Governor to be an independent ticket, and containing the signatures, printed name…

Independent Nominations: Failure to Comply With Act. The Commission may refuse to accept for filing any petition that, on its face, fails to comply with the requirements of the preceding sections. Source: Repealed and reenacted by PL 12-18, § 2 (6332). Commission Comment: Section…

Independent Nominations: Failure of Commission to Act. If the Commission does not affirmatively take action to deny certification to an independent candidate within forty-five (45) days, prior to the election day, the candidate shall be deemed certified for the general election b…

Independent Nominations: Filing Fee. Each petition for an independent candidate for Governor or Lieutenant Governor shall be accompanied by payment to the Commission of a five-hundred dollar ($500.00) filing fee. Source: Repealed and reenacted by PL 12-18, § 2 (6334). Commission …

Nominations – Delegate to the United States House of Representatives. The nomination of candidates for Delegate to the United States House of Representatives is made by petition of any political party or any independent candidate. The procedures for political party nominations an…

Nominations: Senators and Representatives. Political parties shall nominate their candidates for senator or representative in the manner prescribed in their party rules and regulations and according to the provisions of this Chapter. The political party chairman and secretary sha…