Formal Opinions

Opinion Letter No. 04-02 February 3, 2004 Office of Disciplinary Counsel and Disciplinary Board The Office of Disciplinary Counsel (“ODC”) and the Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of Hawaii (“Board”) are subject to the UIPA based on the totality...

Opinion Letter No. 04-01 January 13, 2004 Board Members Discussion of Official Business Outside of a Duly Noticed Meeting; E-Mail Communication A state legislator asked the OIP to investigate the Landfill Selection Committee’s (“Committee”) compliance with the Sunshine Law. The...

Opinion Letter No. 03-22 December 30, 2003 Oahu Island Burial Council The State Historic Preservation Division, Oahu Island Burial Council (“Burial Council”) convened an executive meeting on March 12, 2003, under section 92-5(a)(4), HRS, which allows a board subject to...

Opinion Letter No. 03-21 December 29, 2003 Records Pertaining to Kahana Valley State Park Interpretive Leases Residents living in Kahana prior to its condemnation for a State park negotiated a “living park” concept to be able to continue living in...

Opinion Letter No. 03-20 December 17, 2003 Oversight Committee for the First Circuit Family Court [Please note that opinions discussing the deliberative process privilege have been materially affected by the Hawaii Supreme Court’s majority opinion in Peer News LLC v. City...

Opinion Letter No. 03-19 December 16, 2003 Records of Deceased Persons A state legislator asked the OIP for an opinion on “whether living or deceased persons’ names may be obtained from State records and put on public display” on a...

Opinion Letter No. 03-18 November 12, 2003 Closed Investigation of Deputy Attorney General [NOTE:  This opinion was partially overruled by OIP Op. Ltr. No. F13-01.] Two individuals filed a complaint with the Attorney General against an employee. They later requested...

Opinion Letter No. 03-17 September 11, 2003 Attorneys' Presence - Required to Accomplish the Essential Purposes of an Executive Meeting In OIP Opinion Letter Number 03-12, the OIP advised that the Sunshine Law authorizes boards to summon non-board members to...

Opinion Letter No. 03-16 August 14, 2003 Disclosure of University's Contract with Head Football Coach The 1998 contract between the University of Hawaii (“UH”) and Head Football Coach June Jones must be publicly disclosed. Certain information about the contract has...

Opinion Letter No. 03-15 August 7, 2003 UH Animal Care Advisory Committee Records of the University of Hawaii’s Animal Care Advisory Committee (“ACAC”) are subject to the UIPA. The University of Hawaii (“UH”) is a government agency subject to the...