For example, Gregory Gideon stated that, after his arrest VMF officers repeatedly punched and kicked him, and beat him with the butts of their firearms. When he subsequently collapsed in his cell, he apparently was taken by police officers to a hospital where they left him at the front door without alerting medical staff. Hospital staff report that he was developing shock symptoms from massive internal bleeding, and he underwent life-saving, emergency surgery to remove his spleen. Shortly after these events, police internal investigators opened an investigation into the complaints of mistreatment. The Government permits visits by human rights monitors, and an AI delegation visited in February.
Arrest is by warrant.
The Constitutional provision that suspects must be informed of the charges and given a speedy hearing before a judge is observed in practice. There is no exile. The courts are normally free of military or executive interference. Signed by almost all judges and magistrates, the declaration affirmed the principles of judicial independence, fair trial, freedom of speech, and freedom from any interference or intimidation in the operation and jurisdiction of the judiciary. There is also a Supreme Court, and above the Supreme Court an Appeals Court with three judges, two of whom are appointed by the President and chosen from among supreme court judges in other south Pacific nations as required.