President of the Nauru Court of Appeal

The Government of Nauru seeks expressions of interest from persons suitably qualified under Part V of the Constitution of the Republic of Nauru to be appointed as the President of the Nauru Court of Appeal.

The President of the Court of Appeal is the head of the Nauru Court of Appeal. The Nauru Court of Appeal is the highest appellate court. The full court consists of three Justices of Appeal of which the President of the Court presides. The Nauru Court of Appeal is established under Article 57 of the Constitution of the Republic of Nauru and the Nauru Court of Appeal Act 2018. The Nauru Court of Appeal sits at least twice a year for approximately a month each.

The successful candidate will be required to travel to Nauru and may, from time to time, be required to reside in Nauru.

FUNCTIONS

The functions of the President of the Nauru Court of Appeal include:

1. supervising the general administration and operations of the Nauru Court of Appeal;
2. ensuring the Court of Appeal sitting is held at least twice a year and judgments are delivered promptly so that cases are finally resolved for all parties;
3. presiding in all court sittings unless unable to do so;
4. presiding as a single Justice of Appeal for matters provided in the Act;
5. developing and implementing policies to continue to strengthen Nauru's appellate process and the Nauru Court of Appeal;
6. implementing processes and upgrading technology to ensuring the courts are equipped with electronic filing systems, technologically advanced court for audio-visual hearing and other modern facilities;
7. ensuring the Nauru Court of Appeal has sufficient numbers of Justices of Appeal and other administrative staff;
8. hearing and determining appeals brought before the Court in accordance with Nauruan law and procedure;
9. working collaboratively with and providing collegiate support to the other Justices of Appeal; and working constructively with key stakeholders including legal practitioners, the Court Registry and self-represented litigants.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

• Proficiency in the law and its underlying principles especially relating to criminal, civil and customary land law matters
• Must have held a superior position of supervision of judicial officers or legal professionals
• Experience as a Justice of Appeal in any other Commonwealth country will be an advantage
• Experience in dealing with land matters in the Pacific region or of similar ownership of land would be an advantage
• Decisive and ability to discharge all supervisory and administrative functions of the office of the President of the Nauru Court of Appeal
• Decisiveness and ability to discharge judicial functions promptly
• Effective oral, written and interpersonal communication skills with peers and members of the public, which includes clearly explaining the procedure and decisions to all parties
• Effective management of workload
• Ability to maintain authority and inspire respect
• Ability to introduce, use and willingness to learn modern information technology progressively

PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES

• Integrity
• Independence and impartiality
• Good character
• Courtesy and patience
• Willingness to work and adapt to the constraints of a small community with limitations and having respect for different culture and expectations

COMPETENCY AND QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor of Laws from a common law jurisdiction
• At least 10 years' post admission legal practice experience as a senior counsel or as a judicial officer of a superior Court with the ability to preside over civil, criminal, constitutional and judicial review matters
• Knowledge and experience of a range of legal subjects and the ability to analyse and formulate judgments and principles of law and equity to develop legal jurisprudence

TERM OF APPOINTMENT

The successful applicant's appointment will be for three years, subject to the terms and conditions of an employment contract and the possibility of further renewals based on performance.

REMUNERATION AND BENEFITS

The successful applicant will receive a competitive salary in Australian currency, rent-free accommodation, travel to and from Nauru, transport and internet while in Nauru, which is prescribed under the Supreme Court Judges Conditions of Service, Salaries and Allowances Regulations 2020.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

Interested persons are to provide the following required documents, otherwise, applications will not be considered:

1. letter of expression of interest setting out how the applicant meets the requirements of the position;
2. a curriculum vitae of no more than four pages, including the names and contact information for three professional referees; and
3. 5 recent court decisions demonstrating the applicant's scope of experience and ability to address legal problems in different areas of the law.

CLOSING DATE

30th November 2025. Any late submission of an expression of interest will not be accepted.