35
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES             H.R. NO.              
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2000                                
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
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                     HOUSE  RESOLUTION

  REQUESTING A REVIEW OF THE GUARDIAN AD LITEM SELECTION PROCESS.
 


 1        WHEREAS, the protection of children is an issue of
 2   paramount concern to the State and the court system; and
 3   
 4        WHEREAS, to protect the rights of children, the guardian
 5   ad litem process was instituted, whereby a third party acting
 6   as an advocate for the child is appointed to represent the
 7   child's best interests and report on the status of the child to
 8   the court; and
 9   
10        WHEREAS, the guardian ad litem can and is intended to be
11   a very powerful protective force for the child; and
12   
13        WHEREAS, the appointment process of a guardian ad litem is
14   solely within the control of the family court; and
15   
16        WHEREAS, it is important that the guardian ad litem
17   appointment process be done in a way that best serves the
18   interest of the children; and
19   
20        WHEREAS, the guardian ad litem appointment process is now
21   done behind closed doors in the Family Court, and there is no
22   way for the public to ascertain the quality of the guardians ad
23   litem being appointed; now, therefore,
24   
25        BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the
26   Twentieth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session
27   of 2000, that the Judiciary is requested to report to the
28   Legislature on the process used to appoint guardians ad litem,
29   and the methodology used to ensure that qualified candidates
30   for these positions are sought and competent, conscientious
31   appointees are being made; and
32   
33        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Judiciary is requested to
34   report on these processes to the Legislature no later than
35   twenty days before the convening of the Regular Session of
36   2001; and
37   

 
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                                  H.R. NO.              
                                                        
                                                        


 1        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this
 2   Resolution be transmitted to the Chief Justice of the Hawaii
 3   Supreme Court and the Administrative Director of the Courts.
 4 
 5 
 6 
 7                         OFFERED BY:  ____________________________