Court lashes Kiribati government over treatment of Australian-born judge

Kiribati's court of appeal said government's latest bid to deport high court justice David Lambourne on national security grounds was far-fetched'

Kiribati's constitutional crisis is no closer to resolution, with the country's court of appeal criticising the government for its conduct towards suspended high court judge David Lambourne, an Australian citizen.

In an extraordinary judgment on Friday, the appeals court - consisting of three retired New Zealand judges - upheld an earlier decision that had found efforts to undermine Lambourne's tenure unconstitutional. Lambourne is a longtime resident of Kiribati and formerly the nation's solicitor general. His wife, Tessie Lambourne, is the opposition leader.