Tuvalu is one of a small group of Pacific states that retained the London-based Judicial Committee as its final court after independence in 1978. Appeals are rare in practice: leave is required, and the cost and distance of litigating in London make it inaccessible for most litigants from a state of about 11,000 people.
How the court is constituted
- Tier
- international
- Court type
- External court of final appeal
- Jurisdiction
- Final appeals from the Court of Appeal of Tuvalu on limited grounds, with leave.
- Seat
- London, United Kingdom
- Established
- 1833
- Composition
- Justices of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom sitting as the Judicial Committee, normally five.
- Appointment
- Members are appointed to the UK Supreme Court and sit on the Committee ex officio.
- Languages
- English
Where an appeal goes next
None. This is the final court.
Filing at this court
- Application for permission
- Within 56 days of the order appealed from
- Leave
- Required; granted only on limited grounds
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