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About the Court

The U.S. Bankruptcy Court is a unit of the U.S. District Court for the District of Hawaii. The Bankruptcy Court and the District Court are both located in Honolulu but at separate locations. In accordance with 28 U.S.C. § 157(a), the District Court has referred all cases under Title 11 (the Bankruptcy Code) or arising in or related to a case under Title 11 to the bankruptcy judges of this district.  

The District of Hawaii is part of the Ninth Circuit, which encompasses the federal courts of nine states: Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington, as well as the Territory of Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. The Ninth Circuit is the largest of the twelve federal circuits in size, population, number of federal judges, and volume of litigation. It includes fifteen federal district courts, thirteen bankruptcy courts, and a court of appeals.

Within the Ninth Circuit, the U.S. Court of Appeals appoints bankruptcy judges to renewable 14-year terms. Presently there is a single bankruptcy judge appointed in the District of Hawaii, Chief Bankruptcy Judge Robert J. Faris. Judge Faris also serves on the Bankruptcy Appellate Panel of the Ninth Circuit.

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