Guam Law

Guam is an unincorporated territory of the United States. Most but not all federal laws apply to Guam. In addition to the U.S. Constitution, which is the supreme law of the U.S., federal laws include statutes that are periodically codified in the U.S. Code. Federal laws also include decisions by courts that interpret federal laws. Finally, federal laws include regulations issued by federal administrative agencies to implement federal laws. You can explore federal laws and related resources by visiting the federal law section of the Justia site.

Guam does not have its own constitution. The main governing document of Guam is the Organic Act of Guam, which was passed by the U.S. Congress in 1950. Other Guam laws include laws that are passed by the Legislature of Guam and periodically codified in the Guam Code, as well as decisions by courts that interpret Guam laws. Meanwhile, the Guam Administrative Rules and Regulations (GARR) contain rules that have been devised by Guam governmental agencies to implement Guam laws.

The provisions of the Guam Code and the GARR are often interpreted by the Guam Supreme Court, which is the only appellate court in the territory. The federal Guam District Court also issues decisions that may affect Guam residents. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals holds the authority to review decisions by the Guam District Court. Sometimes the U.S. Supreme Court may review a case that has been appealed from the Ninth Circuit or from the Guam Supreme Court.