14 Mar 2013

Fiji Labour Party's legal challenge of party decree dismissed

7:09 pm on 14 March 2013

The Fiji Labour Party's legal challenge of the Registration of Political Parties Decree has been dismissed in the High Court.

The lawyer of the proposed Labour Party, Anand Singh, claimed the decree was in breach of international conventions.

But the Fiji Village website reports the case was dismissed by Justice Anjala Wati, who said under the Administration of Justice Decree there can be no legal challenge of a decree.

The court has ordered the proposed political party to pay 800 US dollars to the Attorney General's Office in costs.

Under the terms of the political parties decree, existing parties had to apply for re-registration by mid-February .

So far, the regime has not said if any party has been successful.