Fijileaks
  • Home
  • Archive Home
  • In-depth Analysis
    • BOI Report into George Speight and others beatings
  • Documents
  • Opinion
  • CRC Submissions
  • Features
  • Archive

ALL RIGHT IN FIJI: Khaiyum, Gates, Raj, Pryde tell UN Human Rights Council that we are  now one 'big human family' with all the rights!

30/10/2014

0 Comments

 
Picture
MINISTRY OF INFORMATION FIJI: Fiji presented its report on its human rights development to the Human Rights Council in Geneva at which a number of countries congratulated Fiji on the receptive and apolitical manner in which the delegation presented and responded to the dialogue.
In his opening statement, the Head of the Fijian Delegation - Attorney General and Minister for Justice outlined Fiji’s significant achievement in the promulgation of the Constitution in September 2013 which has a robust Bill of Rights. The Bill of Rights includes not only civil and political rights but unprecedented social and economic rights. The Attorney General also informed the Council that the Constitution has created substantive equality complemented by legal and policy implementation.

The Chief Justice spoke about the barriers experienced by the Judiciary in its functioning after the events of 2009. The effects of the travel ban imposed on judges and the important judicial reforms implemented by him to promote an open and equal justice system.

The Chief Justice’s opening statements were followed by the opening statements of Mr. Christopher Pryde the Director of Public Prosecutions who explained the basis of prosecution in Fiji, the non-political nature of the decision to prosecute and the number of assault cases committed by police officers which were currently before the Courts.

His statements were followed by the opening statements of the Chair of Media Industry Development Authority, Mr. Ashwin Raj who set out the challenges of promoting ethical journalism in Fiji and the efforts of the Media Industry Development Authority to build a trained and strong media. He also addressed the relationship between the Media Industry Development Decree, freedom of expression in the Constitution and the permissible limitations on freedom of expression such as hate speeches and defamation of character.

The Council then broke into interactive dialogue between individual countries and the Fijian delegation. The dialogue included a discussion on violence against women, on media freedom, on the way in which limitations in the Constitution will be read and the important inclusion of social and economic rights in the Fijian Constitution. All countries which spoke in this dialogue congratulated Fiji on its recent elections and on its strong and progressive Constitution. Many countries also commended Fiji on its strong advocacy and implementation of social and economic rights.

In relation to questions about the participatory process of Constitution building, the Attorney General and Minister for Justice told the Human Rights Council Working Group about the numbers of submissions received and the process of consultation which was adopted before the drafting of the Constitution.

In response to the questions about the independence of the Judiciary, the Chief Justice explained how the UN basic principles on the independence of the Judiciary had been incorporated into the Constitution. He said that there was no evidence of any interference with Fiji’s judiciary by Government and that the Judiciary was committed to reforms.

Some countries asked about the way in which media freedom was protected under the Media Development Decree 2010 and the Constitution. The Chair of the Media Industry Development Authority explained that the code of ethics in the Media Decree 2010 and the limitations to freedom of expression in the Bill of Rights aligns with the jurisprudence on European Court of Human Rights and that media laws in Fiji are not an exception to those practised in other jurisdictions.

Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva, Ambassador Madam Nazhat Shameem addressed the issue of the under reported dark figure of gender based violence and ways in which Fiji had addressed the need for victims of gender based violence to report these offences.

Fiji’s report and presentation following the interactive dialogue were highly commended by many State representatives. Fiji’s report together with a list of recommendations made by countries will be tabled at the Human Rights Council on 31 October 2014. That will be followed by a concluding speech by the Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Mr. Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum. Source: Ministry of Information, Fiji
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Contact Email
    ​[email protected]
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture

    Archives

    July 2025
    June 2025
    May 2025
    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012