81

Article 81 Interpretation (1) In this Constitution, unless the context otherwise requires: “Article” means Article of this Constitution; “Cabinet” means the Cabinet established under Article 17; “Chief Justice” means the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court; “Chief Secretary” means the Chief Secretary of Nauru appointed under Article 25; “Court” means a court of law having jurisdiction in Nauru; “Existing law” means a law in force in Nauru immediately before Independence Day; “Government Gazette” means the Nauru Government Gazette; “Independence Day” means the thirty-first day of January, One thousand nine hundred and sixty-eight; “Law” includes an instrument having force of law and an unwritten rule of law and “lawful” and “lawfully” shall be construed accordingly; “Minister” means a Minister of the Cabinet; “Month” means calendar month; “Parliament” means the Parliament of Nauru established under Article 26; “Person” includes a body corporate or politic; “President” means the President of Nauru; “Property” includes a right, title or interest in or over property; “Public office” means an office of emolument in the public service; “Public officer” means a person holding or acting in a public office; “Public service” means, subject to the provisions of this Article, the service of the Republic of Nauru; “Schedule” means Schedule to this Constitution; “Session” means the period beginning when the Legislative Assembly of Nauru first met on Independence Day or after Parliament has at any time been prorogued or dissolved and ending when next Parliament is prorogued or dissolved; 7601 Service 1 Job: (unknown)/ron/allvols/serv_1/RON.CONSTIN Page: 43 Date: 30/8/2022 Time: 17:27:55 bwpageid:: 7601:: bwservice::1:: LAWS OF THE REPUBLIC OF NAURU Article 81 “Sitting” means a period during which Parliament is sitting without adjournment; “Speaker” means the Speaker of Parliament; “Supreme Court” means the Supreme Court of Nauru established under Article 48; “Writing” includes any mode of representing or reproducing words in a visible form. [cl (1) am GN No 72/1968, opn 17 May 1968] (2) In this Constitution: (a) a reference to an office in the public service does not include: (i) a reference to the office of President, Minister, Speaker, Deputy Speaker, member of Parliament or Clerk of Parliament; (ii) a reference to the office of a judge of the Supreme Court; or (iii) except in so far as is prescribed by law, a reference to the office of a member of a council, board, panel, committee or other similar body, whether incorporated or not, established by law; and (b) a reference to an office of profit in the service of Nauru does not include a reference to the office of President, Minister, Speaker, Deputy Speaker or member of Parliament. [cl (2) subst GN No 72/1968, opn 17 May 1968] (3) In this Constitution, unless the context otherwise requires, a reference to the holder of an office by an expression designating his office shall be construed as including, to the extent of his authority, a reference to a person for the time being authorised to exercise the powers or perform the functions of that office. (4) In this Constitution, a reference to the total number of members of Parliament is a reference to the number of members of which Parliament consists in accordance with