s90 of the Constitution of Kiribati, states the establishment of the Court of Appeal which is also known as the superior court in the country.
The Judges are the Chief Justice of the High Court and other Judges appointed under the Constitution and there must be a President that must be also appointed by Te Beretitenti in accordance to s91 (3) of the Constitution. Currently, there are 3 Justices that have taken their oath and have been sworn in as Justices of the Court of Appeal of Kiribati, these are;
1. Justice Peter Blanchard (Presiding Justice)
2. Justice Rodney Hansen QC
3. Justice Paul Heath
The Kiribati Judiciary is also grateful and welcome the new appointed Justice, Justice Raynor Asher that is also soon to be sworn in by Te Beretitenti.
They determine appeal and review cases from the High Court based on question of facts and law and breach of natural justice in general. The sitting of the Court of Appeal takes place annually but due to the pandemic, the sittings have been carried out virtually with the Justices from their home country in New Zealand in 2021. The 2022 Court of Appeal sitting is yet to be finalized.
