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Nauru Lands Committee Ordinance 1956-1963

THE ISLAND OF NAURU

NAURU LANDS COMMITTEE ORDINANCE 1956-1963*

An Ordinance to provide for the Establishment of a Nauru Lands Committee, and for other purposes.

Short title.
Short title amended: No. 6, 1965, s. 4.

1. This Ordinance may be cited as the Nauru Lands Committee Ordinance 1956-1963.*

Definitions.

2. In this Ordinance, unless the contrary intention appears-

"Nauruan" and "Pacific Islanders" have, respectively, the same meanings as those expressions have in the Nauruan Community Ordinance 1956;

"the Committee" means the Nauru Lands Committee established under this Ordinance;

"the Council" means the Nauru Local Government Council established by the Nauru Local Government Council Ordinance 1951-1955.

Establishment of Nauru Lands Committee.
Sub-section (1) amended by No. 5, 1963, s. 2.

3. (1) There shall be a committee to be called the Nauru Lands Committee.

(2) The Committee shall consist of not less than five, or more than nine, members, all of whom shall be Nauruans.

Substituted by No. 5, 1963, s. 2.

(3) The members of the Committee -

(a) shall be appointed by the Council; and

(b) hold office during the pleasure of the Council.

Procedure, etc., of Committee.
Amended by No. 5, 1963, s. 3.

4. Subject to the last preceding section, the constitution and procedure of the Committee shall be as determined by the Council.

Remuneration of members of Committee.
Substituted by No. 5, 1963, s. 4.

5. Members of the Committee shall be paid, out of the Nauru Local Government Council Fund, such remuneration as the Council approves.

Powers of Committee

6. (1) The Committee has power to determine questions as to the ownership of, or rights in respect of, land, being questions which arise -

(a) between Nauruans or Pacific Islanders; or

(b) between Nauruans and Pacific Islanders.

(2) Subject to the next succeeding section, the decision of the Committee is final.

Appeals from decisions of Committee.

7. (1) A person who is dissatisfied with a decision of the Committee may, within twenty-one days after the decision is given, appeal to the Central Court against the decision.

(2) The Central Court has jurisdiction to hear and determine an appeal under this section and may make such order on the hearing of the appeal (including, if it thinks fit, an order for the payment of costs by a party) as it thinks just.

(3) Notwithstanding anything contained in any other law, a judgment of the Central Court given on an appeal under this section is final.

Validation of decisions of Central Court and Administrator.

8. The Central Court shall be deemed to have had at all times jurisdiction to determine appeals from the Lands Committee constituted in accordance with the customs and usages of the aboriginal natives of Nauru, and decisions of that Court given before the date of commencement of this Ordinance on appeal from that Committee, and decisions of the Administrator given before that date on further appeal from that Court, shall be deemed to have been validly given.

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