In November 2021, a court ruling by Chief Justice Bill Hastings overturned the government's actions, declaring them unconstitutional.
In response, Attorney General Tetiro Semilota reiterated her government's decision to remove Lambourne from his post and suspended him in May 2022.
[3] On 11 August 2022, the crisis intensified when the government attempted to deport Lambourne, despite an order from the Kiribati Court of Appeal that he should not be removed from the country.
[5] The deportation led to a three-hour standoff between immigration officials and a Fiji Airways pilot who refused to board Lambourne against his will.
[9] On 19 August 2022, the crisis further intensified, as the court of appeal was finally hearing the case again, despite the efforts of the government to postpone or cancel it, and the last-minute statement of the Office of the Beretitenti (OB), made just hours before the hearing,[10] and after a US lawyer[11] acting for the government "said the decision of the executive should be treated with 'maximum deference'".