7 May 2003

Fiji Women's group calls for fi

11:29 am on 7 May 2003

The Fiji Women's Rights Movement is calling on the government to revisit two reports from the Law Reform Commission which recommends a total reformation of the country's penal code.

Its coordinator, Virisila Buadromo, says Justice Anthony Gates and academic Mary Pulea wrote the reports and suggested changes to several laws like the crimes and sexual offences acts a few years ago.

Earlier, the government said it would introduce tougher penalties for violent and sexual crimes to deter crime.

Ms Buadromo says the government is adopting a band aid approach which fails to address the causes of the crimes.

She says the Gates and Pulea reports have a holistic approach in tackling crime in Fiji.

"What we're strongly recommending that they seriously need to take those recommendations in the Gates report and the Pulea report because that looks at the crime from a total points of view in reforming the whole legislation. We feel there needs to be strong commitment from government and they need to put those reports and put them into a bill. That would be a better way forward."

Virisila Buadromo in Fiji.