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Fiji |
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Fiji's chief governmental legal officer is the Attorney General. According to the Constitution of Fiji, the Attorney-General is required to be a qualified lawyer and sits in the Cabinet. The office of the Attorney-General is the oldest surviving executive office in Fiji, having been established in the Kingdom of Viti in 1872. It continued throughout Fiji's years as a British crown colony (1874–1970) and subsequently as a Commonwealth realm (1970–1987) and republic (1987–present), with minimal modifications.
The Attorney-General is the only Cabinet office, apart from that of the Prime Minister, specifically established by the Constitution. The Attorney-General must be a member of either the House of Representatives or the Senate. A unique feature of the office is that except for voting rights (which may be exercised only in the chamber of which the Attorney-General is officially a member), the Attorney-General has the authority to participate in the business of both chambers of Parliament. The office is normally held by the Minister for Justice, although they are distinct offices. Like other members of the Cabinet, the Attorney-General is appointed by the President on the advice of the Prime Minister.
The office of the Attorney-General is responsible for all legal needs of government departments, statutory bodies, and state-owned enterprises. The office has three offices in Suva, Lautoka, and Labasa respectively. Government legal work in the country's Central and Eastern Divisions is undertaken by the central office in Suva, headed by the Solicitor-General, while the Lautoka office (headed by the Principal Legal Officer) is responsible for the Western Division. The Northern Division is covered by the Labasa office.
The current Attorney General is Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum. In January 2008, he sparked controversy by accepting other government positions in addition to his role as Attorney General; Sayed-Khaiyum is currently responsible also for "Public Enterprise, Electoral Reform and Anti-Corruption". An article in the Fiji Times pointed out that "never before in the history of this nation has the Attorney-General held a portfolio dealing with matters other than the law and the judiciary", and criticised the decision.[1]
Note that some Attorneys-General have held office in multiple consecutive administrations, particularly in the colonial era.
Order | Attorney-General | Term of Office | Appointed by: |
1. | R.W. Hamilton | 1872 | King Seru Epenisa Cakobau |
2. | C.R. Forwood | 1872–1873 | |
3. | Sydney Charles Burt | 1873–1874 |
Order | Attorney-General | Term of Office |
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Governor-General | Prime Minister | |||
21. | John Neil Falvey | 1970–1977 | Ratu Sir George Cakobau | Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara |
22. | Sir Vijay R. Singh | 1977–1979 | ||
23. | Andrew Indar Narayan Deoki | 1979–1981 | ||
24. | Manikam V. Pillai | 1981–1984 | ||
Ratu Sir Penaia Ganilau | ||||
25. | Qoriniasi Babitu Bale | 1984–1987 | ||
26. | Jai Ram Reddy | 1987 | Timoci Bavadra | |
[1] The Attorney-General in this period was formally appointed by the Governor-General, but on the advice of the Prime Minister. |
Order | Attorney-General | Term of Office |
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President | Prime Minister | |||
27. | Sailosi Kepa | 1987–1992 | Ratu Sir Penaia Ganilau | Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara |
28. | Apaitia Seru | 1992 | ||
29. | Kelemedi Bulewa | 1992–1996 | Sitiveni Rabuka | |
Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara | ||||
31. | Anand K. Singh | 1999–2000 | Mahendra Chaudhry | |
32. | Alipate Qetaki | 2000–2001 | Ratu Josefa Iloilo | Laisenia Qarase |
33. | Qoriniasi Babitu Bale | 2001–2006 | ||
34. | Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum | 2007–present | Commodore Frank Bainimarama | |
[1] The Attorney-General in this period is formally appointed by the President, but on the advice of the Prime Minister. |
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