12 Aug 2011

Lawsuit against Marshalls Chief Justice thrown out

10:24 am on 12 August 2011

Lawsuits filed against Marshall Islands Chief Justice Carl Ingram have been tossed out of court by a United States judge, who called the plaintiffs annoying litigants.

A Seattle-based US District Court judge, John Coughenour, was appointed by the Marshall Islands Cabinet to hear two civil suits brought against Mr Ingram by Majuro residents Lutz Kayser and Susanne Kayser-Schilleger.

His ruling not only granted Mr Ingram's motion to dismiss the lawsuits, it declared the couple vexatious litigants, and banned them from filing any more lawsuits in Marshall Islands courts without judicial approval.

The plaintiffs had accused the Chief Justice of improper conduct in handling civil suits they had brought against various internet giants, including Google, Microsoft and Yahoo.