Nauru
Common law
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Nauru is a common-law country with a Constitution of 1968. It is the smallest republic in the world, and its law comes mainly from English and Australian sources.
Updated October 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
Where the law comes from
- The Constitution of 1968, the highest law
- Acts of Parliament, and English common law
- Decisions of the Supreme Court
The main courts
- A court of appeal
- The Supreme Court
- The District Court and the Family Court
Becoming a lawyer
A law degree and admission to practise by the Supreme Court. Many lawyers and judges come from overseas.
What may surprise you
- It is a republic of a single small island with a full set of courts.
- Judges and lawyers often come from Australia or other Commonwealth countries.
- Many English and Australian statutes were adopted into its law.
Related systems
How this country is classified
The University of Ottawa’s JuriGlobe database lists Nauru as: Common law. It names the systems in order of importance.
The map colours a country by the first-named system, and shows both civil-law and common-law countries as “mixed”. It is a simplification, and real systems are rarely pure.
Other countries in the same family
Sources
TheLawToKnow Tools’s Legal Families Atlas is an educational overview. It simplifies on purpose, and it is not legal advice. For a real legal question about Nauru, consult a lawyer qualified there. Report a mistake.
Take it further
The family and property rules of a European country in one PDF, with questions for a local lawyer.
How legal systems and codes grew.
US bar exam, SQE, NCA, QLA, FE-1, AIBE and more, each one-time and lifetime.
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