Fiji CJ to Aust, NZ: don’t ban judges

November 01, 2009 01:29:04 PM

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Fiji Chief Justice Sir Anthony Gates today called on Australia and New Zealand to stop interfering with Fiji’s judiciary whose members continue to be harassed by their travel restrictions.

“Discard your policy now,” said Justice Gates in a statement delivered at a press conference in his judicial chambers in Suva today.

It was Attorney General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum who had in recent weeks fronted the Fiji government’s frustration over the policies of its neighbours. But today Justice Gates said that he had to “stand up against such interference”.

“Fiji must have a judiciary...and it is not for Australia or New Zealand to tell us we can not have one or who we are to appoint,” he said, highlighting the plight of Sri Lankan judges due to join the Fiji courts this week and the treatment given family law court judge, Justice Anjala Wati.

Justice Gates said the Sri Lankan judges were not allowed transit to Australia and have to come through Korea.

He said the judges were individually “warned” by Australian immigration authorities that if they took up appointments in Fiji’s judiciary then they and their family would not be allowed travel to Australia, even for medical help.

In regards to Justice Wati, Justice Gates said that although she was later granted visa by New Zealand for an urgent eye operation in Auckland for her 22-month-old child, the New Zealand immigration officials had been “ignorant of the child’s condition”.

Referring to “policies of hostility” adopted by Fiji’s neighbours since the 2006 military coup and abrogation of Fiji’s constitution in April this year, Justice Gates said that his concern is that restrictions are also imposed on Judges and Magistrates.

"If the judiciaries of Australia and New Zealand can see this interference to be clearly wrong, I would urge such judges to speak with their parliamentary colleagues on the need of its rejection," he said.

Whether or not that happens, Justice Gates said: "One thing is clear, the judiciary in Fiji will not be cowed...".

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