Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Fiji interim regime says magistrates’ training ongoing

Posted at 01:46 on 06 November, 2009 UTC

Fiji’s interim attorney general says training of magistrates is ongoing, following a new report finding them to be gender-biased and inexperienced.

The report has been compiled by the Women’s Crisis Centre and looked at how new magistrates ruled in gender-based crime cases.

The new magistrates were appointed after the turmoil in April when the constitution was thrown out and the judiciary sacked.

Aiyaz Sayed Khaiyum says the problem hasn’t appeared overnight.

“The Bainimarama interim government commissioned an inquiry into the magistracy and that found a number of issues that needed to be addressed. So, those matters are on foot. There’s also been some very good training that’s been going on within the magistracy and the judiciary by some very competent judges and former judges.”

Aiyaz Sayed Khaiyum