Summary
- A reflection of Constitution Day celebrations, including speeches and presentations by government officials.
- One of the highlights was serving as a judge on the Republic of the Marshall Islands High School Moot Court finals competition.
JD Record
Republic of The Marshall Islands Celebrates Constitution Day
Courtesy of Linda Murnane
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As U.S. lawyers and judges celebrated Law Day on May 1, 2023, I enjoyed my first opportunity to share Constitution Day with the people of the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI).
I recently completed the first six months of my two-year appointment to serve as an Associate Justice on the High Court of the Republic of the Marshall Islands. May 1 is celebrated in the RMI. It is a national holiday and is marked by RMI school students and official government agencies participating in a parade, formal program and other activities designed to appreciate the right to self-governance restored to them in 1979.
During the May 1 celebrations, I accompanied the Chief Justice of the High Court, The Honorable Carl B. Ingram, and Associate Justice Witten T. Philippo and the High Court Staff to march in the Constitution Day parade. We then assembled on the reviewing platform to hear speeches and presentations from government officials.
Individuals assigned to the United States Embassy in the Republic of the Marshall Islands as well as from the embassies of Australia, Korea, and the Republic of China (Taiwan) also participated in the parade and celebrations.
One of the highlights was serving as a judge on the Republic of the Marshall Islands’ High School Moot Court finals competition. The participating high schools held preliminary rounds on April 28 in the morning. The two finalist teams argued later that day, and I joined Chief Justice Ingram and Associate Justice Philippo in judging this final round of the competition.
I was very impressed with the degree of preparation and the very skilled presentations of these high schoolers. These students, their teachers and coaches had a very compressed time to research and prepare a very complex legal situation.
The winning team was recognized during Constitution Day celebrations.
The Constitution Day celebrations ended with a dinner and reception at the Marshall Islands resort, including speeches by dignitaries, and the evening event was capped off by a fireworks display.
The entire Majuro Community turned out for the day’s events. It was great to see the pride displayed by the citizens of the Marshall Islands in their independence.
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