Lawyers and watchdogs feared for the rule of law in Kiribati on Thursday (September 8th) after the Pacific nation's government suspended the last three High Court judges.
"
Kiribati now has no sitting judges,
" said the Law Society of neighboring New Zealand, adding that "
the suspension of three judges - following disagreement over a decision - is an improper interference in the judicial process.
".
The International Bar Association's Human Rights Institute has accused Kiribati President Taneti Maamau of "
attacking the independence of the judiciary
", saying the three suspended judges were all Neo -Retired Zealanders, a common practice in Pacific island nations.
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New Zealand Law Society vice-president Ataga'i Esera said the suspension of the three judges "
undermines Kiribati's judicial independence
" and warned that the rule of law was at risk.
“
The Court of Appeal is the highest local court in Kiribati, and its decisions must be respected.
The rule of law demands
it,” she said.
Diplomatic relations with China
The crisis in Kiribati was sparked last month when the appeals court rejected the government's request to evict Australian David Lambourne, a High Court judge married to the country's opposition figure.
The government reacted by rebelling against the “
foreign judges
” and against the court's decision, which it described as “
very biased
” and “
unilateral
”.
Kiribati established diplomatic ties with China in 2019 after previously recognizing Taiwan and ties with Beijing have deepened considerably since.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited there during a tour of the Pacific in May, signing 10 agreements including climate and economic deals.
Shortly thereafter, Kiribati walked out of the Pacific Islands Forum as other member states rejected China's demand for a bigger role in regional security.
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Although sparsely populated, the Pacific Islands sit at a strategic crossroads between China, the United States and its allies Australia and New Zealand.
The region has long looked to the West for trade and security, but China's spectacular economic rise and more recently its growing military and diplomatic influence have reshaped it.