Politics of Kiribati takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic republic,whereby the Beretitenti,President of Kiribati,is both the head of state and head of government,and of a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government,Beretitenti,and his cabinet,all MPs. Legislative power is exercised by the House of Assembly. The Judiciary of Kiribati is independent of the executive and the legislature. The Constitution of Kiribati,promulgated at independence on 12 July 1979,establishes the Republic of Kiribati as a sovereign democratic republic and guarantees the fundamental rights of its citizens and residents.
The Office of Film and Literature Classification,branded as the Classification Office,is an independent Crown entity established under Films,Videos,and Publications Classification Act 1993 responsible for censorship and classification of publications in New Zealand. A "publication" is defined broadly to be anything that shows an image,representation,sign,statement,or word. This includes films,video games,books,magazines,CDs,T-shirts,street signs,jigsaw puzzles,drink cans,and slogans on campervans. The Chief Censor,Caroline Flora,is the chair of the Office.
Sir Kenneth James Keith is a New Zealand judge. He was elected to the International Court of Justice in November 2005,serving a nine-year term during the years 2006 through 2015.
The Society for Promotion of Community Standards Inc. ("SPCS") is a conservative lobby group in New Zealand. A registered charity and incorporated society,the Society has taken a strong pro-censorship stance and clashed many times with the Office of Film and Literature Classification. They have also advocated socially conservative positions on issues such as abortion,euthanasia and same-sex marriage.
The High Court of New Zealand is the superior court of New Zealand. It has general jurisdiction and responsibility,under the Senior Courts Act 2016,as well as the High Court Rules 2016,for the administration of justice throughout New Zealand. There are 18 High Court locations throughout New Zealand,and one stand-alone registry.
William or Bill Hastings may refer to:
The District Court of New Zealand is the primary court of first instance of New Zealand. There are 59 District Court locations throughout New Zealand. The court hears civil claims of up to $350,000 and most criminal cases. It is governed by the District Court Act 2016,which replaced the earlier District Courts Act 1947 as well as the District Court Rules which are periodically revised by the Rules Committee.
Censorship in New Zealand has been present since around 1850 and is currently managed by the Classification Office under the Films,Videos,and Publications Classification Act 1993.
Sir Edward Taihakurei Durie is a New Zealand jurist who served on the High Court of New Zealand between 1998 and 2004. He was the first Māori appointed a judge of a New Zealand court.
The Immigration and Protection Tribunal is a specialist,independent tribunal established in New Zealand under the Immigration Act 2009 with jurisdiction to hear appeals and applications regarding residence class visas,deportation,and claims to be recognised as a refugee or as a protected person. The Tribunal is administered by the Ministry of Justice and is chaired by a District Court Judge,appointed by the Governor General on the recommendation of the Attorney-General.
The judiciary of New Zealand is responsible for the system of courts that interprets and applies the laws of New Zealand. It has four primary functions:to provide a mechanism for dispute resolution;to deliver authoritative rulings on the meaning and application of legislation;to develop case law;and to uphold the rule of law,personal liberty and human rights. The judiciary is supported in its work by an executive department,the Ministry of Justice.
The Judiciary of Kiribati is the branch of the Government of Kiribati which interprets and applies the laws of the country. In addition to the Constitution of Kiribati and the corpus of laws,the laws of Kiribati include customary law,which the courts must take into account when considering specified matters in criminal and civil proceedings.
Tessie Eria Lambourne is an I-Kiribati civil servant,diplomat and politician. She has been a member of the Maneaba ni Maungatabu (Parliament) since April 2020. She was formerly Kiribati's Ambassador to Taiwan from June 2018 to September 2019 and Secretary to the Cabinet,the highest position in Kiribati's civil service,from August 2016 until June 2018.
Dame Helen Diana Winkelmann is the 13th and current chief justice of New Zealand –head of the New Zealand judiciary –having been sworn in on 14 March 2019. She is the second woman to hold the position,following her immediate predecessor,Sian Elias.
Satiu Simativa Perese is a Samoan judge. He has served as the Chief Justice of Samoa since 12 June 2020.
A constitutional crisis began in Kiribati when the Cabinet of Kiribati suspended two of its High Court Justices. High Court Judge David Lambourne was suspended in May 2022 while Chief Justice Bill Hastings was suspended on 30 June 2022,both over allegations of misconduct. A Court of Appeal ruling upheld an earlier ruling of Chief Justice Hastings that the government acted unconstitutionally in not permitting David Lambourne to resume his duties as a High Court judge,and overturned the subsequent attempted deportation of Lambourne. In response,the government suspended all judges of the Kiribati Court of Appeal on 6 September 2022.
The Kiribati Court of Appeal is the supreme court of Kiribati established according to the Constitution of Kiribati of 12 July 1979. The Court sits in Betio,South Tarawa.
David Lambourne is an Australian judge on the courts of Kiribati since 1995,first as Kiribati People's lawyer (1995–1999),solicitor general,then,since July 2018,as puisne judge Justice in the High Court of Kiribati. He is the husband of Tessie Eria Lambourne,leader of the opposition since 2020.
Parliamentary elections were held in Kiribati in 2024 to elect members of the Maneaba ni Maungatabu,with the first round held on 14 August and the second on 19 August.
