CHOICE OF LAW

Where the plaintiff is a Pohnpei resident, one of the defendants, a party to the contract at issue, is a corporation having its principal place of business in Pohnpei, and where the contract at issue governs work to be conducted in Pohnpei, and the injury which has brought the clause under consideration occurred in Pohnpei, the indemnification clause should be interpreted, and the issues of tort liability determined, in accordance with the law of Pohnpei. Semens v. Continental Air Lines, Inc. (I), 2 FSM Intrm. 131, 137 (Pon. 1985).

Although the FSM Supreme Court has often decided matters of tort law without stating explicitly that state rather than national law controls, there, of course, has been acknowledgment that state law controls in the resolution of contract and tort issues. When the Supreme Court, in the exercise of its jurisdiction, decides a matter of state law, its goal should be to apply the law the same way the highest state court would. Edwards v. Pohnpei, 3 FSM Intrm. 350, 360 n.22 (Pon. 1988).

An FSM Supreme Court decision applying state law in a case before it is final and res judicata; but if in a subsequent case a state court decides the same issue differently, the state decision in that subsequent case is controlling precedent and the national courts should apply the state court rule in future cases. Edwards v. Pohnpei, 3 FSM Intrm. 350, 360 n.22 (Pon. 1988).

Since general contract law falls within powers of the state, state law will be used to resolve contract disputes. Federated Shipping Co. v. Ponape Transfer & Storage Co., 4 FSM Intrm. 3, 9 (Pon. 1989).

Procedural matters in litigation before the FSM Supreme Court are governed by the FSM Rules of Civil Procedure and national statutes, rather than by state law. Salik v. U Corp., 4 FSM Intrm. 48, 49-50 (Pon. 1989).

Generally, in cases requiring the interpretation or construction of contracts, the national courts would be called on to apply state law. Bank of Hawaii v. Jack, 4 FSM Intrm. 216, 218 (Pon. 1990).

Questions regarding the validity of the provisions of promissory notes for personal loans, executed with a national bank operating in each state of the FSM and having in part foreign ownership, are closely connected to the powers of the national legislature to regulate banking, foreign and interstate commerce, and bankruptcy, and to establish usury limits, and they have a distinctly national character. The FSM Supreme Court therefore will formulate and apply rules of national law in assessing such issues. Bank of Hawaii v. Jack, 4 FSM Intrm. 216, 218 (Pon. 1990).

State law is to be applied in domestic relations cases. Pernet v. Aflague, 4 FSM Intrm. 222, 224 (Pon. 1990).

The FSM Supreme Court should apply FSM law to determine a claim brought in an FSM court pursuant to FSM statutory authorization by an FSM citizen asserting that FSM officials failed to fulfill the commitments of the FSM national government, and this is so even when key events at issue happened outside of the FSM. Leeruw v. FSM, 4 FSM Intrm. 350, 357 (Yap 1990).

Although the death, and all key events giving rise to the wrongful death claim, occurred in Guam, damages should be determined under FSM law when the claim is brought under 6 F.S.M.C. 503, the FSM wrongful death statute. Leeruw v. FSM, 4 FSM Intrm. 350, 365 (Yap 1990).

In a diversity of citizenship case the FSM Supreme Court will normally apply state law. Youngstrom v. Youngstrom, 5 FSM Intrm. 335, 337 (Pon. 1992).

Since state law generally controls the resolution of tort issues the duty of the FSM Supreme Court in a diversity case involving tort law is to try to apply the law the same way the highest state court would. Nethon v. Mobil Oil Micronesia, Inc., 6 FSM Intrm. 451, 455 (Chk. 1994).

Even when a national court places itself in the shoes of the state court and interprets state law, the state court is always the final arbiter of the meaning of a state law. State court interpretations of state law which contradict prior rulings of the national courts are controlling. Pohnpei v. MV Hai Hsiang #36 (I), 6 FSM Intrm. 594, 601 (Pon. 1994).

Because tort law is primarily state law a negligence action will be governed by the substantive state law and the FSM Supreme Court's duty is to try to apply the law the same way the highest state court would. Fabian v. Ting Hong Oceanic Enterprises, 8 FSM Intrm. 63, 64-65 (Chk. 1997).

Because the primary lawmaking powers for the field of torts lie with the states, not the national government, the FSM Supreme Court's duty in an invasion of privacy case on Pohnpei is to try to apply the law the same way the highest state court in Pohnpei would. This involves an initial determination of whether it is contrary to, or consistent with, Pohnpei state law to recognize a right of privacy and an action for that right's violation. Mauricio v. Phoenix of Micronesia, Inc., 8 FSM Intrm. 248, 251-52 (Pon. 1998).

Should Pohnpeian custom and tradition not be determinative, the FSM Supreme Court will look to its earlier holding and decisions of United States courts for guidance as to relevant common law tort principles, and will evaluate the persuasiveness of the reasoning in these decisions against the background of pertinent aspects of Micronesian society and culture in Pohnpei. Mauricio v. Phoenix of Micronesia, Inc., 8 FSM Intrm. 248, 253 (Pon. 1998).

State law controls in the resolution of contract and tort issues. When the Supreme Court, in the exercise of its jurisdiction, decides a matter of state law, its goal should be to apply the law the same way the highest state court would. When no existing case law is found the FSM Supreme Court must decide issues of tort law by applying the law as it believes the state court would. Pohnpei v. M/V Miyo Maru No. 11, 8 FSM Intrm. 281, 294-95 (Pon. 1998).

The national courts of the FSM have frequently been obliged to decide state law issues without the benefit of prior state court decisions. In such instances, the national courts strive to apply the law in the same way the highest state court would. Subsequently, should the state's highest court decide the issue differently in a different case, then prospectively that case will serve as controlling precedent for the national court on that state law issue. Island Dev. Co. v. Yap, 9 FSM Intrm. 18, 22 (Yap 1999).

The states' role in tort law is predominant. Phoenix of Micronesia, Inc. v. Mauricio, 9 FSM Intrm. 155, 158 (App. 1999).

The FSM Supreme Court's function and goal in diversity cases where state law provides the rule of decision is to apply the law the same way the highest state court would, and that if there is a decision of the highest state court it is controlling and the FSM Supreme Court will apply it. But if there is no such state court decision the FSM Supreme Court must still exercise its jurisdiction and try to decide the case according to how it thinks the highest state court would. In the future, the highest state court could decide the issue differently and future decisions of the FSM Supreme Court would then apply that decision. Phoenix of Micronesia, Inc. v. Mauricio, 9 FSM Intrm. 155, 158 (App. 1999).