Nauru blasted for deporting magistrate Outraged: Peter Law, accused of being "drunk and disorderly" and derelict in his duty. Nauru's justification for sacking and deporting its resident magistrate of three years has been branded "ridiculous, false and defamatory" by the tiny country's exiled chief justice and as outrageous by the man himself. Two days after arresting Peter Law and putting him on a plane to Australia under police guard, the Nauru government justified its actions by accusing him of misdemeanours ranging from being "drunk and disorderly" and derelict in his duty, to improper conduct towards staff and cases. Declaring it important that justice not only be done, but "be seen to be done," the government said it had chosen to banish Mr Law "before any more damage is done to the reputation and good standing of the Nauru judiciary." Rather than restore Nauru's reputation, the explanation is likely to bolster an outraged Mr Law's claims of breach of contract and defamation - and prompt more criticism from judicial and human rights bodies. It will also heighten anxiety within the Abbott government, given Nauru is hosting its asylum-seeker detention centre and trials are pending against scores of asylum seekers charged with riot and wilful damage. "If there has been an abuse of legal process in this matter then this is a serious concern, given the commitment of both the Australian and Nauru governments to the rule of law as a key democratic and human rights value," a Foreign Affairs Department spokeswoman said. Nauru opposition MP Roland Kun has also warned the sacking could derail hopes to open a bank on the island, which is a cash economy with no banking services. Bendigo Bank - which has been considering opening a branch on Nauru - said it was watching recent events. The generalised allegations against Mr Law were not attributed to Nauru's Justice Minister, David Adeang, or any other individual and are believed to have come from an employee who was refused permission to attend a training course last year. "He made the absurd allegation that I was an alcoholic and a drunk - apparently that's one of the most insulting things you can say in Nauru about somebody," Mr Law said. The fact is I'm not. Nauru's Chief Justice, Geoffrey Eames, said he met with Nauru's President, Baron Waqa, on November 26 and the President made it clear that he did not believe the claims and stated full confidence in Mr Law. Mr Law said he had delivered 300 decisions in his time as resident magistrate, court registrar and chairman of the family court and had only one appeal, which had been dismissed. "What that says to me is there weren't many problems with justice in Nauru over the last three years," he said. Earlier on Tuesday, the man appointed to replace Mr Law as magistrate, Andrew Jacobson, adjourned a hearing into whether an injunction to prevent the deportation of two Nauru residents should be lifted. While the secretary of the Nauru Justice Department asked for the matter to be adjourned until Friday, Mr Jacobson did not set a date for a further hearing. It also became clear that Mr Jacobson, whose appointment was opposed by Justice Eames, had no role in the drafting of legislation the government maintains permits deportations without judicial review. with Daniel Flitton