Military regime interfering with the judiciary

The independence of the judiciary has once again come under the limelight in Fiji with sacking of 5 magistrates by the military regime on or about 19 July 2010. Carrying out their functions under bondage of the Military, the judiciary offers citizens the last refuge of hope for asserting their infringed rights.  

Since forcefully taking power in 2006, the military regime has been notorious for interfering with the judiciary at will. Over the past 15 months, the Military has sacked a total of 45 judicial officers: 30 magistrates and 15 judges. The recent sackings were allegedly on the ground that the magistrates have rejected prosecutions instituted by the regime. The sackings bear every hallmark of a regime the actions of which erodes and threatens the independence of the country’s judicial system. The actions by the military have already caught international attention with concerns being raised by the UN Human Rights Councils in Geneva. That is not the end to the issue, as 17 states have already called on the regime to invite the UN Rapporteur on Independence of the Judiciary.