DOWNLOADA special devotional to mark the annual opening of the High Court of Kiribati was held at the Bairiki meetinghouse of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Friday, 24 January 2025.
More than 150 Kiribati judges, lawyers and other legal professionals attended the devotional.
Penisula Mwemwenikeaki of the Church’s Tarawa Kiribati West Stake conducted the service. Also attending were local Church leaders, Tokarei Rui, Timau Itibita, and Peter Itibita.
President Timau Itibita addressed the judiciary inviting them to “consider the eternal significance” of their work.
He reminded them that their “work in upholding the law, resolving disputes, and safeguarding the rights of others is not only a civic duty but a sacred charge. In your pursuit of justice, you are engaged in a labour that reflects divine principles.”
He noted that their “efforts to uphold fairness, protect the rights of others, and ensure that the rule of law contributes not only to the temporal welfare of society but also to its spiritual foundation as well,” were very important to society.
The devotional programme included children reciting the Articles of Faith and a musical performance from a local Latter-day Saint choir.
The Judiciary is an independent arm of the Government, established and protected under the Constitution of Kiribati.
There are 43 Latter-day Saint congregations in Kiribati. A temple is under construction in Kiribati. The Tarawa Temple groundbreaking event was held in November 2024. Kiribati is made up of 32 atolls and one raised island. It has a population of approximately 119, 000 people, with more than half of the people living on the Tarawa atoll.