High Court of Tuvalu

The High Court of Tuvalu has general jurisdiction and responsibility, as authorised by sections 120 to 133 of the Constitution of Tuvalu. The jurisdiction of the High Court extends over both criminal and civil matters, and deals with cases at first instance or on appeal from the lower courts. The administration of the court is set out in Superior Courts Act (1987) and the admiralty jurisdiction is addressed in the Admiralty Jurisdiction (Tuvalu) Order (1975).

There are eight Island Courts and Lands Courts; appeals in relation to land disputes are made to the Lands Courts Appeal Panel. Appeals from the Island Courts and the Lands Courts Appeal Panel are made to the Magistrates Court, which has jurisdiction to hear civil cases involving up to $10,000.

Section 5 of the Constitution establishes the jurisdiction of the High Court in constitutional matters; with sections 40 to 42 confirming the jurisdiction of the High Court to determine questions in relation to the Bill of Rights is set out in Part II of the Constitution.

Amasone v. Attorney General was a judgment of Ward CJ delivered on 6 August 2003. The leader of the opposition requested an order regarding the calling of parliament. The Chief Justice delivered directions as to how the governor-general should proceed to take any action he considers to be appropriate under Section 116(1) of the Constitution, acting in his own deliberate judgment, rather than as advised by the cabinet.[2] That is, the governor-general could consider whether it was appropriate to exercise his reserve powers in calling parliament.

Teonea v. Pule o Kaupule of Nanumaga was a judgment of Ward CJ given delivered 11 October 2005.[3] The case raised issues in relation to the balancing the freedoms of religion, expression and association that are set out in the Constitution of Tuvalu against the values of Tuvaluan culture and social stability that are also referred to in the Constitution. This matter went on appeal to the Court of Appeal of Tuvalu.[4]

The Chief Justice is The Hon Charles Sweeney QC. He succeeded Sir Gordon Ward in early 2016.[5]

Following the election of Kausea Natano as prime minister following the 2019 Tuvaluan general election, the justice minister, Simon Kofe, announced a two-member tribunal to investigate Mr Sweeney on allegations of judicial misconduct.[6][7]

The Hon Sir Gordon Ward, Chief Justice of Tuvalu (2000-2016), was a President of the Court of Appeal of Fiji, and Chief Justice of Tonga and of Trinidad and Tobago.[8] The Hon Sir Gaven Donne KBE,(1914-2010) was Chief Justice 1985-2001, retired at the age of 85 and died aged 95 in 2010. Sir (Dermot) Renn Davis (1928-1997),who had previously served in Kenya and then as the British Judge in the New Hebrides Condominium (now Vanuatu) 1973-1976, and as the first Chief Justice of Solomon Islands in 1976 and as Chief Justice of Gibraltar (1980-1986), was Chief Justice of Tuvalu 1978 to 1980 and then Chief Justice of the Falkland Islands and a Judge of Appeal of Gibraltar. He died, on his way to a Mozart festival in Leipzig, Germany aged 68 in 1997.

The Hon. Robin Millhouse QC, a Chief Justice of Kiribati for 16 years and before that (1982-1999) a judge of the Supreme Court of South Australia and eventually its senior puisne judge, an Attorney General of South Australia and a member of its Parliament for more than 25 years, served as a Judge of the High Court of Tuvalu from 2014. He died, aged 87, on 27 April 2017. Plenus annis, plenus honoribus. The Hon Justice Michael Finnane RFD QC was appointed to the Court in 2017.

In May 2013 Sir Gordon Ward ruled on the application of the Tuvaluan Opposition regarding the calling of a by-election for the vacant seat in Nukufetau,[9] which led to the 2013 Nukufetau by-election.[10]

Most rulings of the High Court can be appealed to the Court of Appeal of Tuvalu.

• Jennifer Corrin-Care, Tess Newton and Don Paterson (1999), Introduction to South Pacific Law, London: Cavendish Publishing

• "High Court of Tuvalu (reported cases)". PACLII. Retrieved 10 March 2014.