23 Aug 2007

Fiji regime lifts travel ban imposed on Law Society leaders

1:50 pm on 23 August 2007

Authorities in Fiji have lifted the travel bans imposed earlier on the two top officials of the Fiji Law Society.

The interim attorney general, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, says the names of the Law Society president, Devanesh Sharma, and its vice president, Tupou Draunidalo, have been removed from the list of people not allowed to leave Fiji.

Mr Sharma says his and Ms Draunidalo's plans to travel to a law conference in Sydney next week had been jeopardised when they found their names were on a list of people prohibited from leaving Fiji.

Suva lawyer Isireli Fa will also attend the Sydney conference.

Earlier this week, the immigration director, Commander Viliame Naupoto, said there were now only about ten names on the immigration watch list.

Meanwhile, the Suva High Court has yet to hear contempt charges brought against Ms Draunidalo by the interim attorney general who wants her jailed.

The charges relate to an attack made on overseas TV by Ms Draunidalo who said the confidence of lawyers in the Fiji judiciary had been shattered.