There is a privately owned weekly paper with articles in both English and the Marshallese language. The government s Marshall Islands Gazette monthly contains official news and avoids political coverage. There are two radio stations, one of which is state owned, and both offer pluralistic views. A cable television company shows U.S. programs and occasionally covers local events. There are no restrictions on religious observance in this predominantly Christian country.
Freedom of assembly is respected in practice.
The government broadly interprets constitutional guarantees of freedom of association to extend to trade unions, but none have been formed. There is no formal right to strike or engage in collective bargaining, although in practice there are no restraints on such activity. The judiciary is generally independent, and the rule of law is well established. However, the government has attempted to influence certain judicial matters. Parliament recently amended the Judiciary Act to resolve inconsistencies between the rule of the court and a legislative act in favor of the latter.