A former judge on Fiji's Court of Appeal, Sir Thomas Eichelbaum, says foreign lawyers could play a role in Fiji's judiciary if it was able to establish its independence.
His comments come as the New Zealand lawyer Christopher Pryde, who has been reappointed Solicitor-General in Fiji, rejected suggestions that expatriate lawyers should refuse to work under an unlawful regime.
Mr Pryde says it's important for Fiji that disruption to government services is minimal and that people assist the country to restore the rule of law.
Sir Thomas Eichelbaum says he understands the reluctance of Australian and New Zealand lawyers to work in Fiji, but says they could play a role under the right conditions
"If there was a genuine attempt to establish an independent judiciary then certainly there would be a role for expatriate judges because Fiji is really unable to fully staff a high class judiciary."
Sir Thomas Eichelbaum, a former Fiji Court of Appeal judge and former Chief Justice of New Zealand
