Family
Family Court with custom, and same-sex conduct decriminalised in 2016
Marriage and divorce under Nauruan statutes with a dedicated Family Court division, custom recognised in adoption and succession, and a notably progressive 2016 criminal code reform.
Key rules
- Deadline — Protection orders under the 2017 Act may be granted urgently
- Deadline — Custom adoption is recognised and registered through the Lands Committee process
Governing law
- Matrimonial Causes Act 1973 (s. 14)
- Births, Deaths and Marriages Ordinance 1957
- Adoption of Children Act 1965
- Domestic Violence and Family Protection Act 2017
In practice
Family disputes are heard in the Family Court division of the District Court. Custom retains real force in adoption, which is common and has direct property consequences because adopted children take shares in fractional land interests. The Domestic Violence and Family Protection Act 2017 introduced protection orders and specialist police response. Nauru's Crimes Act 2016 reform, which accompanied these changes, decriminalised consensual same-sex conduct and modernised sexual offences — placing Nauru ahead of several larger neighbours, including Tuvalu and Solomon Islands, where colonial provisions remain.