
From the U.S. Code Online via GPO Access
[wais.access.gpo.gov]
[Laws in effect as of January 23, 2000]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
  January 23, 2000 and December 4, 2001]
[CITE: 48USC1611]

 
              TITLE 48--TERRITORIES AND INSULAR POSSESSIONS
 
                       CHAPTER 12--VIRGIN ISLANDS
 
                      SUBCHAPTER V--JUDICIAL BRANCH
 
Sec. 1611. District Court of Virgin Islands; local courts; 
        jurisdiction; practice and procedure
        

(a) District Court of Virgin Islands; local courts

    The judicial power of the Virgin Islands shall be vested in a court 
of record designated the ``District Court of the Virgin Islands'' 
established by Congress, and in such appellate court and lower local 
courts as may have been or may hereafter be established by local law.

(b) Jurisdiction

    The legislature of the Virgin Islands may vest in the courts of the 
Virgin Islands established by local law jurisdiction over all causes in 
the Virgin Islands over which any court established by the Constitution 
and laws of the United States does not have exclusive jurisdiction. Such 
jurisdiction shall be subject to the concurrent jurisdiction conferred 
on the District Court of the Virgin Islands by section 1612(a) and (c) 
of this title.

(c) Practice and procedure

    The rules governing the practice and procedure of the courts 
established by local law and those prescribing the qualifications and 
duties of the judges and officers thereof, oaths and bonds, and the 
times and places of holding court shall be governed by local law or the 
rules promulgated by those courts.

(July 22, 1954, ch. 558, Sec. 21, 68 Stat. 506; Pub. L. 98-454, title 
VII, Sec. 702, Oct. 5, 1984, 98 Stat. 1737.)


                               Amendments

    1984--Pub. L. 98-454 designated existing provisions as subsec. (a), 
inserted ``established by Congress'' before ``and in such'' and 
substituted ``appellate court and lower local courts as may have been or 
may hereafter be established by local law'' for ``court or courts of 
inferior jurisdiction as have been or may hereafter be established by 
local law'', and added subsecs. (b) and (c).


                    Effective Date of 1984 Amendment

    Amendment by Pub. L. 98-454 effective on ninetieth day following 
Oct. 5, 1984, see section 1005 of Pub. L. 98-454, set out as a note 
under section 1424 of this title.

                  Section Referred to in Other Sections

    This section is referred to in section 1613a of this title.
