Guam Supreme Court rules on key amendments to Guam Bar Association bylaws

Today, the Supreme Court of Guam issued an opinion on a petition filed by members of the Guam Bar Association regarding recent amendments to the Guam Bar Association

bylaws. 

In the case In re Guam Bar Association, 2024 Guam 5, petitioners asked the court to modify or overrule five of the 31 amendments passed at a special election.

The court approved Amendment 6, which requires GBA Board candidates to reside in Guam, with a five-year minimum Guam Bar membership for the Board President position. 

Amendment 7, involving GBA financial statement preparation, was also approved, with a modification to ensure supervision by an independent CPA. 

However, the court disapproved Amendments 1 and 3, which aimed to create a new membership class for temporary active attorneys, and Amendment 12, which proposed a “finality rule” for elections.

The court affirmed the validity of the special election process and ruled that the amendments should comply with existing GBA Rules, maintaining the Supreme Court's authority to oversee the bylaws.