Pacific / Fiji

Law and legal process must be maintained in Fiji during crises like Covid-19

07:48 am on 20 April 2020

The Fiji Law Society says it's vital the machinery of law and legal process is maintained in the midst of crises like Covid-19.

The society president Laurel Vaurasi was speaking after challenges from the government over a ruling by the Nadi Magistrates Court, which acquitted Ravin Lal and Shalvin Chand on curfew breaches.

She said "Fiji's system of justice provides for due process to be followed."

The Fiji Times reports Ms Vaurasi saying the Magistrate's decision, whether correct or not, was subject to an appeal process within a 28 day time period.

She said this is "the appropriate forum in which the correctness of the decision is to be considered is the High Court, should the prosecution choose to appeal".

On Thursday the magistrate's ruling was set aside by the acting Chief Justice Kamal Kumar.