The Nauru Government is lashing out because it has been called out for its bad behaviour, an Australian lawyer says.
T-shirts worn by family and supporters of the 19 Nauruans who were prosecuted by government for staging a protest outside of parliament in 2015. Photo: Nauru 19/ Facebook
The government on Friday issued a statement defending the country's judicial process in the trial of a group of anti-government protesters, known as the 'Nauru 19'.
The remaining 12 members of the group, which consists of activists and former politicians, have been found guilty of rioting and disorderly behaviour and face jail terms.
The legal process followed has been criticised by legal experts in New Zealand and Australia and described as a sham and a further sign of the decline of the Nauru judicial system.
However, Nauru's government has accused 'Nauru 19' supporters of contempt of court, claiming it has never interfered in the legal process and accused the foreign media of bias and racism.
It has also taken issue with what it says are attacks on its "highly respected judges and court".
Stephen Lawrence, who has represented the 'Nauru 19' in the past, said that was a typical reaction from an authoritarian government.
"They now are trying to use the international media to criticise those that have held them to account and they have even said, in this ridiculous statement, that they have never interfered in the course of this case.
"And you only have to look at Justice Muecke's judgement that called their constant interference in the case: 'a shameful affront to the rule of law' to see where the truth really lies in this case."
Mr Lawrence said the ''highly respected judges" claim by the Nauruan government had no merit.
He said, sadly, since the events of 2014 when the Nauru Government illegally removed the judiciary "we have seen the government deliberately employ lawyers across the Pacific who can be described as mediocre at best, and in some cases highly tainted and controversial figures. Any judges who they have employed who have not towed the line have been summarily dismissed."
Mr Lawrence said it was time for Australia to ban officials and MPs from entering the country until they respected the rule of law.
"Australia can say to the Nauru parliamentarians: 'Your government is behaving in such a way, such a reprehensible way, that we will not be granting your parliamentarians and your officials visas to visit our country.
"That is a legitimate course of action open to the Australian government."
RNZ Pacific has sought comment from the Nauru Government.