18 Nov 2008

Fiji Law Society says interim regime is making a mockery of Fiji's court system

11:36 am on 18 November 2008

The president of the Fiji Law Society, Dorsami Naidu, says that the interim regime is making a mockery of Fiji's court process and judiciary.

This follows the acquisition of a stay order by the interim Attorney General to allow the National Council for Building a Better Fiji to resume work on the People's Charter, just hours after the High Court issued an injunction for it to stop on Friday.

The High Court ruling had come following a complaint by the ousted prime minister Laisenia Qarase.

But the interim-Attorney General quickly obtained an ex-parte order for a stay in the Appeal Court, claiming the High Court judge was unavailable.

Mr Naidu says that this is not the first time the interim regime has gone the ex-parte route on a ruling it disagrees with.

"Are they entitled to tell everyone that this is a decision by the court, it must be respected, you must obey and not even criticise it? How far can you use the institutions of law and the system so as to... aren't they making a mockery of it?"

Dorsami Naidu.