Supreme Court (Pitcairn)
Encyclopedia
The Supreme Court of the Pitcairn Islands
was a special court set up to try the Pitcairn sexual assault trial of 2004
. As the Pitcairns have a minimal population (approximately 50) they have never had an extensive formal legal system. Up to the time of the charges leading to this trial
, few island residents had ever been formally charged with serious crime
s in recent years.
Owing to the lack of a formal Pitcairn Island judiciary and the absence of legally trained Pitcairners, a court composed of judge
s from New Zealand
was appointed to hear the trial with the approval of the British
government. The tribunal's first decision was whether to accept the defence claim that the Pitcairn Islands were not in fact legally British territory and had not been such since at least the time that the original settlers, the mutineers
of the Bounty
, burned the vessel in a symbolic (and, from the defence viewpoint, actual) rejection of further British sovereignty
and rule. The Supreme Court ruled that the Pitcairns were in fact British territory and were generally internationally recognised to be such and that the trial was thus legal.
The Court later (October 23) found the defendants to be guilty of the sexual offences alleged against them, which created turmoil as the defendants included the islands' mayor
, Steve Christian
, direct descendant of leading Bounty mutineer Fletcher Christian
. Steve Christian's sister was then installed as mayor until a new election could be held for a new island government.
Pitcairn Islands
The Pitcairn Islands , officially named the Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands, form a group of four volcanic islands in the southern Pacific Ocean. The islands are a British Overseas Territory and overseas territory of the European Union in the Pacific...
was a special court set up to try the Pitcairn sexual assault trial of 2004
Pitcairn sexual assault trial of 2004
On 30 September 2004, seven men living on Pitcairn Island , went on trial facing 55 charges relating to sexual offences. On 24 October, all but one of the defendants were found guilty on at least some of the charges they faced...
. As the Pitcairns have a minimal population (approximately 50) they have never had an extensive formal legal system. Up to the time of the charges leading to this trial
Trial
A trial is, in the most general sense, a test, usually a test to see whether something does or does not meet a given standard.It may refer to:*Trial , the presentation of information in a formal setting, usually a court...
, few island residents had ever been formally charged with serious crime
Crime
Crime is the breach of rules or laws for which some governing authority can ultimately prescribe a conviction...
s in recent years.
Owing to the lack of a formal Pitcairn Island judiciary and the absence of legally trained Pitcairners, a court composed of judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
s from New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
was appointed to hear the trial with the approval of the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
government. The tribunal's first decision was whether to accept the defence claim that the Pitcairn Islands were not in fact legally British territory and had not been such since at least the time that the original settlers, the mutineers
Mutiny
Mutiny is a conspiracy among members of a group of similarly situated individuals to openly oppose, change or overthrow an authority to which they are subject...
of the Bounty
HMS Bounty
HMS Bounty , famous as the scene of the Mutiny on the Bounty on 28 April 1789, was originally a three-masted cargo ship, the Bethia, purchased by the British Admiralty, then modified and commissioned as His Majesty's Armed Vessel the...
, burned the vessel in a symbolic (and, from the defence viewpoint, actual) rejection of further British sovereignty
Sovereignty
Sovereignty is the quality of having supreme, independent authority over a geographic area, such as a territory. It can be found in a power to rule and make law that rests on a political fact for which no purely legal explanation can be provided...
and rule. The Supreme Court ruled that the Pitcairns were in fact British territory and were generally internationally recognised to be such and that the trial was thus legal.
The Court later (October 23) found the defendants to be guilty of the sexual offences alleged against them, which created turmoil as the defendants included the islands' mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
, Steve Christian
Steve Christian
Steven Raymond Christian is a political figure from the Pacific territory of the Pitcairn Islands.-Mayor:...
, direct descendant of leading Bounty mutineer Fletcher Christian
Fletcher Christian
Fletcher Christian was a master's mate on board the Bounty during William Bligh's fateful voyage to Tahiti for breadfruit plants...
. Steve Christian's sister was then installed as mayor until a new election could be held for a new island government.