15 Mar 2013

Supreme court orders cancellation of Nauru election

6:07 pm on 15 March 2013

Nauru's supreme court has declared the speaker of parliament Ludwig Scotty's dissolution of the assembly null and void, cancelling the election planned for April the 6th.

The order is the result of a legal challenge by a group of MPs led by a former cabinet minister, Kieren Keke, over Mr Scotty's adjournment and subsequent dissolution of parliament.

Dr Keke says the chief justice, Geoffrey Eames, declared the speaker's dissolution unlawful.

"And therefore declared null and void on the basis that he did not have the constitutional authority to dissolve parliament. As a consequence of that the writ that the speaker had issued for a general election to be held on the 6th of April was also unlawful and declared null and void."

Kieren Keke says the chief justice has also ordered the speaker to reconvene parliament, something that must be done within the next 28 days.