Nauru · Courts
Court structure of Nauru
Every tier of the judiciary, what it hears, and where an appeal goes next.
The hierarchy, top to bottom
- Final appellate — Nauru Court of Appeal
- Established by the Nauru Court of Appeal Act 2018 after appeals to the High Court of Australia were terminated.
- Superior first instance — Supreme Court of Nauru
- Unlimited original jurisdiction, including constitutional matters.
- First instance — District Court
- Summary criminal and small civil claims.
- Specialist — Nauru Lands Committee
- Determines ownership and inheritance of Nauruan land under custom; appeal lies to the Supreme Court.
- Specialist — Refugee Status Review Tribunal
- Reviews refugee determinations arising from the regional processing arrangements.
Every court in the hierarchy
- supremeYarenNauru Court of AppealFinal appeals from the Supreme Court of Nauru in civil, criminal and constitutional matters.
- first-instanceYarenSupreme Court of NauruUnlimited original jurisdiction, exclusive original jurisdiction on constitutional interpretation, judicial review, and appeals from the District Court and the Nauru Lands Committee.
- specialisedYarenNauru Lands CommitteeDetermines the ownership of Nauruan land and the distribution of estates of deceased Nauruans according to custom.
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