| Supreme Court of Vanuatu | |
|---|---|
| Jurisdiction | Civil matters, Criminal matters, Constitutional matters |
| Location | Port Vila |
| Authorized by | Constitution of Vanuatu |
| Appeals to | Court of Appeal |
| Appeals from | Magistrate's Courts |
| Number of positions | 4; one Chief Justice, three puisne judges |
| Website | https://courts.gov.vu/about-us/supreme-court |
| Chief Justice | |
| Currently | Vincent Lunabek |
| Since | 2001 |
Supreme Court of Vanuatu is the superior court of Vanuatu and is based in Port Vila. The Court consists of the Chief Justice and three puisne judges.
Appeals from the Supreme Court are heard by the Court of Appeal of Vanuatu, which is the supreme appellate court in the country. The Court of Appeal is constituted from time to time as the need arises.
With the exception of the Chief Justice, all members of the judiciary are appointed by the President of Vanuatu, who acts on the advice of the Judicial Service Commission, pursuant to Article 47(2) of the Constitution of Vanuatu). The Chief Justice is appointed by the President after consultation with the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition, pursuant to Article 49(3) of the Constitution.[1]
The present Chief Justice of the Court is Vincent Lunabek.[2]
Chief Justices of the Court have included:
In 1997, Chief Justice Vaudin d'Imecourt was not allowed in the country, leading to the case of Vaudin d'Imecourt v Manatawai [1997] VUSC 53.
The Court has had the following past and present puisne judges: