Nauru’s President David Adeang has appointed Fijian lawyer Jay Udit as the new Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Nauru in a ceremony attended by Cabinet ministers, senior government officials, and judiciary members. Udit, who has over 33 years of legal experience, specializes in various fields including constitutional law, legislative drafting, and land issues.
Since joining Nauru’s Department of Justice and Border Control (JBC) in 2015, Udit has held several key positions, including three years as Solicitor General and Secretary for JBC starting in 2019. Throughout his service, he played a vital role in major legal and institutional reforms, most notably leading the law revision project that strives to modernize and consolidate Nauru’s legislative framework.
According to Article 49(1) of Nauru’s Constitution, the President appoints the Chief Justice, and Udit’s selection is regarded as a robust enhancement of the judiciary, leveraging his extensive regional expertise and understanding of Nauru’s legal system. Prior to his role in Nauru, Udit had a distinguished legal career in Fiji, where he made history in 2005 by becoming the first Master of the High Court of Fiji, a significant achievement in the country’s judicial history. However, his judicial career faced turbulence in 2009 when his appointment, along with those of other judges, was annulled following the abrogation of Fiji’s 1997 Constitution.
Udit’s ascent to Chief Justice not only represents a significant development for Nauru’s judiciary but also highlights the collaborative ties among Pacific nations in judicial matters. This appointment is expected to bring further advancements and stability to the Nauruan legal landscape.
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