The District Court of Nauru at Yaren sentenced a man on 6 December 2024 after a hearing on 4 December, according to a judgment published on PacLII. The judgment names him as Mawarin Detabene. He pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of cannabis under section 6(a) of the Illicit Drugs Control Act 2004. The amount was 1.2 grams.
A conviction was recorded and the court said prison was not appropriate as there was no violence. The sentence was a $1,500 fine (six months in default), three months of weekend community service and one year of probation. He was released from remand.
Why it matters: A gram and a quarter of cannabis led to a criminal record and a fine that, if unpaid, means six months in prison. The court's refusal to jail him is the more lenient end of the range.
Source: PacLII (District Court of Nauru judgment), 2024-12-06 (translated from en). Forgotten Prisoner's account is based on this reporting.