Court of Appeal

The court, comprising of Chief Justice of Solomon Islands Sir Albert Palmer, serving judge of the National & Supreme Court of PNG Justice Nicholas Kirriwom, and former Chief Justice of the Kingdom of Tonga Justice Michael Scott, sat to hear an appeal by the Nauruan director of public prosecutions against two findings by Justice G Muecke of the Supreme Court of Nauru.

The Nauru Appeal Court, set up last year to replace the country's dependence on the Australian High Court, is to hear the case from the 24th to 26th April.

The government has asserted the Australian judge it brought in to hear the case got it wrong.

Justice Geoff Muecke had granted a permanent stay on the proceedings, saying the government's conduct throughout had been a "shameful affront to the rule of law".

The constitutional amendment which gave rise to the creation of the court which sits at the apex of Nauru’s judicial system came into effect in May this year. 

New rules governing the conduct of appeals were published last week by the President of the Court of Appeal, the Chief Justice of Nauru, Hon. Filimone Jitoko.

Other members of the court who remain to be sworn into office include Sir Albert Palmer (Chief Justice of Solomon Islands), Sir John Muria (Chief Justice of Kiribati) and Hon. Vincent Lunabek (Chief Justice of Vanuatu).

Since independence, Nauruans have been forced to appeal to the High Court of Australia, but Mr Adeang says having a local Court of Appeal which will sit and determine appeals in Nauru will mean appellants who file appeals will have easier access to justice.

“This will be less expensive and affordable for litigants who will be able to actually observe appeal proceedings, and will mean a greater degree of transparency in the delivery of justice.”

The Parliamentary Entitlements Committee, which has MPs sitting on it, voted last year to make MPs' salaries tax free.