Justice of Appeal (Fiji)
Encyclopedia
Justices of Appeal in Fiji
are judge
s who sit on the Court of Appeal
and on the Supreme Court
, but not on the High Court
.
Justices of Appeal are appointed by the President on the nomination of the Judicial Service Commission, which is required to consult first with the appropriate Cabinet Minister
and with the committee of the House of Representatives
overseeing the administration of justice. A Justice of Appeal is required by the Constitution to be a qualified barrister or solicitor with a minimum of seven years' experience in Fiji or another country prescribed by law, or a past or present senior judicial officer in Fiji or another country prescribed by Parliament. The judiciary is the only branch of government from which non-citizens are not excluded. This is in recognition that as a developing country, the government may deem it in the national interest to look abroad for judges with expertise in various aspects of the law. Accordingly, judges from the United Kingdom
, Australia
and New Zealand
, among other countries, have sometimes served on Fiji's courts, including as Justices of Appeal.
Justices of Appeal are required to retire on reaching the age of 70. The retirement age may be waived, however, for a term of not more than years or for the duration of one or more sessions of the court concerned, to allow that person to continue in office, or to transfer to another judicial office, for a term of not more than three years. The waiver may be repeated, but not after the judge has reached the age of 75. No person, therefore, may serve as a Justice of Appeal after the age of 78.
Compulsory retirement does not prohibit retired judges from acting in that capacity on a temporary basis. Judges, including Justices of Appeal, who are past retirement age may therefore be called out of retirement, from time to time, to temporarily fill vacancies or to act in the place of one who is absent or otherwise unable to carry out his or her duties.
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
are judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
s who sit on the Court of Appeal
Court of Appeal (Fiji)
The Court of Appeal of Fiji is one of three courts established by Chapter 9 of the Constitution, the others being the High Court and the Supreme Court. The Court of Appeal was a new institution established when the 1997 Constitution came into effect; the other two courts predated it...
and on the Supreme Court
Supreme Court (Fiji)
The Supreme Court of Fiji is one of three courts established by Chapter 9 of the Constitution, the others being the High Court and the Court of Appeal. The Supreme Court is declared to be "the final appellate court of the State" - in other words, there is no judicial authority higher than the...
, but not on the High Court
High Court (Fiji)
The High Court of Fiji is one of three courts established by Chapter 9 of the Constitution of Fiji—the others being the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court. The Constitution empowers Parliament to create other courts; these are subordinate to the High Court, which is authorized to oversee all...
.
Justices of Appeal are appointed by the President on the nomination of the Judicial Service Commission, which is required to consult first with the appropriate Cabinet Minister
Cabinet (Fiji)
Fiji has the Westminster system - executive authority is vested nominally in a President, but exercised in practice by a Cabinet of Ministers, presided over by the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister is formally appointed, but not chosen, by the President: the President must appoint as Prime...
and with the committee of the House of Representatives
House of Representatives (Fiji)
The House of Representatives is the lower chamber of Fiji's Parliament. It is the more powerful of the two chambers; it alone has the power to initiate legislation...
overseeing the administration of justice. A Justice of Appeal is required by the Constitution to be a qualified barrister or solicitor with a minimum of seven years' experience in Fiji or another country prescribed by law, or a past or present senior judicial officer in Fiji or another country prescribed by Parliament. The judiciary is the only branch of government from which non-citizens are not excluded. This is in recognition that as a developing country, the government may deem it in the national interest to look abroad for judges with expertise in various aspects of the law. Accordingly, judges from the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, among other countries, have sometimes served on Fiji's courts, including as Justices of Appeal.
Justices of Appeal are required to retire on reaching the age of 70. The retirement age may be waived, however, for a term of not more than years or for the duration of one or more sessions of the court concerned, to allow that person to continue in office, or to transfer to another judicial office, for a term of not more than three years. The waiver may be repeated, but not after the judge has reached the age of 75. No person, therefore, may serve as a Justice of Appeal after the age of 78.
Compulsory retirement does not prohibit retired judges from acting in that capacity on a temporary basis. Judges, including Justices of Appeal, who are past retirement age may therefore be called out of retirement, from time to time, to temporarily fill vacancies or to act in the place of one who is absent or otherwise unable to carry out his or her duties.
See also
- Constitution of Fiji: Chapter 9Constitution of Fiji: Chapter 9Chapter 9: Judiciary. Chapter 9 of the Fijian constitution is titled Court of Appeal, and the Supreme Court, and also make provision for other courts to be established by law. The Supreme Court is declared to be "the final appellate court of the State" - in other words, there is no judicial...
(detailing the composition and role of the judiciary)