Nauru, Dec. 5 -- The trial of 12 people without legal representation in Nauru's Supreme Court is an extraordinary breach of individual rights and the rule of law, the New Zealand Law Society's Rule of Law Committee says.

"The criminal charges against what has been known as the Nauru 19 have been a blight on justice in the South Pacific region for the last four years," committee convenor Austin Forbes QC says.

"It is almost unbelievable that such events in Nauru should be occurring in 2019. We have 12 people who are on trial for serious offences but who have been unable to get lawyers to represent them. The Nauruan Minister of Justice has also been reported as stating in Parliament that no lawyers in Nauru are expected to provide any ass...