Delegate or Relegate?

(Top image-[L]Fiji's President:Joesfa Iloilo and[R]Vice President: Joni Madraiwiwi)

Individuals continue raising sentiments of dissatisfaction regarding the inability of the office of Fiji's President to publicly comment on the issue involving the commander of Fiji Army and Government; this matter will be clarified in court once the Attorney General files for the matter. Until then, avid readers into the subject will have to wade through the quagmire of eccentric remarks from both Army, the standing Government and those public comments(from Lawyers, Senators and bloggers [including S.i.F.M])even though the sentiments are extruded from biased platforms.

(L-Fiji's interim Government post 2000 coup.)

Although these remarks fall squarely into the right of free expression, they may require some form of independent fact-checking, to ascertain their validity as well as establishing a legal precedent devoid of any malice, innuendo and misrepresentation by segments with perceived or real conflict of interests in the matter.



(R-Sam Speight signing legal documents for the Rebel Government in 2000)

The loggerheads actually has beginnings stemming from the turmoltuous post-coup period in Fiji.

The issue of judicial patronage and legal activism is another matter that further complicates the issue in Fiji's case.

(Top-Fiji's current Chief Justice: Daniel Fatiaki in ceremonial wig. Messr Fatiaki has been named as being part of the legal team of the rebel Government).

This particular subject of independence and impartiality of the judiciary in Fiji, is covered comprehensively by the website owned by the International Commission of Jurists.

The excerpt of the detailed report(PDF) on Fiji by I.C.J is as follows:

Since November 2000, the Fijian human rights group, Coalition on Human Rights, has urged President Iloilo to suspend three High Court judges and investigate them for alleged misconduct.

The group claimed that the Chief Justice Timoci Tuivaga and Justices Daniel Fatiaki and William Scott had violated the independence, impartiality and the integrity of the judiciary, since they wrongfully advised the then President, Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara on the abrogation of the 1997 Constitution following the Speight coup.

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