Nauru's justice system thrown into chaos as judge sacked, another barred

The justice system in the Pacific island nation of Nauru was in turmoil yesterday after the sole magistrate was sacked and deported while the chief justice, who is in Australia, saw his visa revoked.

Magistrate Peter Law, an Australian, was given no warning of his dismissal and his deportation appeared "politically motivated", Chief Justice Geoffrey Eames said from his home in Australia.

Eames issued an injunction against Nauruan President Baron Waqa to prevent Law's deportation and booked a flight to the Pacific atoll, only to be told his own visa had also been cancelled and the injunction ignored.

A staff member in the Nauru government information office confirmed that Law had his contract terminated but said no reason had been made public and she had no details on the immediate fate of the court system.

Eames said he was told by Waqa the deportation followed allegations of misconduct against Law by a former staff member, but the chief justice believed it was linked to the magistrate blocking the deportation of several Nauru residents.

The dismissal of Law was "politically motivated, designed to have the decisions overturned by a new magistrate, and amounted to an abuse of the rule of law", Eames added.