Ministry of Justice

Office of the Attorney General

Alii and welcome to the Office of the Attorney General.

The Office of the Attorney General represents and defends the legal interest of the people of Palau and Palau as a sovereign nation. As such, the AG’s office has a broad and comprehensive range of duties. It is well known that we have primary responsibility for the prosecution of criminal cases and appeals. We prosecute approximately 500 criminal cases annually, including murder, theft, assault, sex crimes, and misdemeanors. Moreover, the Attorney General is the chief legal counsel to the executive branch of Palau’s government, providing legal services to the President and all of the Ministers in the Republic of Palau, as well as bureaus and other agencies that regularly seek our services. In this regard, we defend Palau against civil claims and cases filed against Palau and its agencies. We also draft and review contracts, draft legislation and regulations, give advice concerning Palau’s obligations under international treaties, and give opinions on legal matters when requested by the executive branch.

These services are provided by an understaffed yet dedicated group of attorneys, investigators, trial counselor, and administrative staff working together to strive for justice for the people of Palau and all people protected by the Constitution of the Republic of Palau.

Thank you for visiting.

Department Head Background: Attorney General Jeffrey L. Beattie was appointed by President Tommy E. Remengesau, Jr. in the summer of 2003. The Attorney General is no stranger to the Palauan legal system, having served as an Associate Justice on the Palau Supreme Court for approximately seven years. Appointed to the Court by President Ngiraktel Etpison in 1992, Beattie resigned in the summer of 2000 so that he could join his family in Guam, where his son was attending high school. After his son’s graduation, President Remengesau asked him to return to Palau to serve as Attorney General. Before coming to Palau, Beattie was engaged in the private practice of law in Denver, Colorado. He graduated from the University of Denver College of Law, Magna Cum Laude, in 1973. During law school he earned several awards, including the West Publishing Prize for Highest Scholastic Average in Class, Corpus Juris Secundum Award for Most Significant Contribution Toward Overall Legal Scholarship, and the American Jurisprudence Award for Excellence in Constitutional Law. He was also a member of the Denver Law Journal and the Order of St. Ives. Beattie is admitted to practice law in a number of courts, including the United States Supreme Court.

Jeffrey L. Beattie – Attorney General

Staff Names and Titles:

Jeffrey L. Beattie – Attorney General
Christopher Boeder – Assistant Attorney General
Christopher L. Hale – Assistant Attorney General
C. Quay Polloi - Assistant Attorney General
Frederick W. Reynolds - Assistant Attorney General
Lori Ann Zucco - Assistant Attorney General
Yosiharu Ueda – Trial Counselor
Richard Ngiratrang – Investigator
Margarete Martin – Investigator
Juliana Jiro – Administrative Assistant
Wilminda O. Soalablai-Aguon – Administrative Assistant