We haven’t reported on Fiji for a while but it looks like there’s trouble a brewing again and surprise surprise no judicial independence – tell us something
new !
The Fiji Times Reports
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Fiji?s Director of Public Prosecutions Christopher Pryde is meant to be an independant Judicial official but releases a ?Government Statement?. If he is working for the government then he must agree with Mr Dodds that the Fiji Judiciary is biased.
Fiji?s Director of Public Prosecutions Christopher Pryde says the chairman of an obscure British NGO, Law Society Charity has publicly spread false, outrageous and inflammatory allegations against the country?s judicial system.
The intellectually dishonest allegations follow a private visit to Fiji by Nigel Dodds in November, 2011 during which he claims to have interviewed many attorneys, judges and opposition politicians.
?Mr Dodds spent approximately four days in Fiji and four months later, he is making an undisguised attempt to draw publicity for himself and his group as a supposed expert on Fiji?s judicial system,? said Pryde in a government statement.
According to Pryde, Dodds never contacted the DPP or any other government official for his ?report?.?
?The failure to solicit any opinion from people actively engaged with the Fijian legal system strongly suggests that Mr Dodds and his organisation are either being used by certain disgruntled people in Fiji to promote a political agenda or are being deliberately obtuse.? ?Either way, the report is intellectually dishonest and does their organisation no credit.?
The report, which Dodds did not provide to the Fiji government, makes racist allegations against the office of the DPP.
Pryde added Dodds seemed to have a problem with Sri Lankan lawyers joining Fiji?s judiciary and said the DPP?s office is independent and non-political in its decision making.
By Reginald Chandar
