Three retired New Zealand judges appointed to the Kiribati Court of Appeal are the latest casualty in a deepening constitutional crisis.
President Taneti Maamau has suspended Court of Appeal judges Peter Blanchard, Rodney Hansen and Paul Heath after they blocked the deportation of High Court Judge David Lambourne.
The Kiribati Government has so far unsuccessfully tried to strip Lambourne, who is the husband of Opposition Leader Tessie Lambourne, of his position in the judiciary.
Late last month the Court of Appeal ruled Lambourne had to be reinstated as a judge and he couldn’t be deported.
This prompted an immediate angry response from the President who said his government was “gravely concerned by the continuing attack on the rule of law” and that the three judges “continue to dictate in apparent ignorance of the laws, constitution, and the legally binding customs and traditions of Kiribati”.
The statement indicated there would be further action by the Government with the president accusing the Appeal Court of turning Kiribati into a judicial tyranny like the “Nuremberg judges did by aiding and abetting Nazi Germany”.
The country’s chief justice, New Zealander William Hastings, was also suspended earlier this year which means the country is essentially without any high level courts.
1News understands David Lambourne’s lawyers had filed an application with the Court of Appeal on Monday to have the attorney general committed for contempt – but shortly afterwards and before that could happen the judges were suspended by the president with no reasons given.
The dismantling of the judicial system in the country adds to a number of extraordinary measures taken by the Kiribati government in recent times.
Two months ago 1News broke the story of Kiribati pulling out of the Pacific Islands Forum and last year revealed that the country was ditching its resource valuable marine reserve the Phoenix Islands Protected Area. Both moves are believed to be influenced by China which re-established diplomatic ties with the central Pacific country in 2019.
Kiribati, which stretches 3.5 million square kilometres is strategically significant for its shipping lanes, a wealth of marine resources and its proximity to US military installations.
SHARE ME