21 Dec 2010

Sri Lanka offers Fiji help with judiciary

1:50 pm on 21 December 2010

Sri Lanka says it will provide legal experts to enhance Fiji's legal sector.

This follows talks in Colombo between the Sri Lankan President, Mahinda Rajapaksa, and Fiji's Chief Justice Anthony Gates, who has also met the Sri Lankan foreign minister G L Peiris.

Mr Rajapaksa has also pledged support to provide the services of Sri Lankan legal experts more efficiently to streamline legal activities in Fiji.

He says experts should be identified through the direct intervention of the Chief Justice and the Attorney-General and that a program should be devised whereby both countries would benefit.

Fiji has been hiring more judicial staff in Sri Lanka following last year's decision by the interim regime to abolish the constitution and sack all judges.

Justice Gates is among those rehired from the old judiciary.