20 Aug 2007

Fiji human rights commissioner says ruling restricting FICAC a positive development

8:10 pm on 20 August 2007

The latest ruling by Fiji's high court that the country's new anti-corruption body has no right to prosecute criminal cases has been hailed as a success by one of the country's human rights commissioners.

The anti-corruption body, known as FICAC, was established earlier this year as part of the interim administration's so-called clean up campaign.

But the high court now ruled that it has no right to prosecute criminal cases.

A human rights commissioner, Shamima Ali, says the ruling is a positive development.

"Given how the present regime came into power, most of us in the human rights community and in the legal fraternity, we are wondering whether FICAC has any power to prosecute anyone, if you take it as an illegal regime. But because they continue to do that, this ruling by the high court is a big plus for human rights and legality in this country."

Shamima Ali hopes the interim regime and the anti-corruption commission will abide by the court ruling.