JUDICIAL CODE
OF CONDUCT
FIJI ISLANDS
by
The Honourable Mr Justice
Fatiaki
Chief Justice of Fiji
Since 1972 almost every major
judiciary has adopted a code of conduct or ethical principles for the guidance
of its judges and magistrates.
Notable examples of these
include the statement of Ethical Principles for Judges adopted in Canada in
1998, the European Charter on the Statute for Judges in the same year, the
Restatement of Values of Judicial Life adopted by the Chief Justices Conference
of India in 1999, the Guidelines for Judges of South Africa issued in March
2000 and the Guide to Judicial Conduct published by the Council of Chief
Justices of Australia in June 2002.
In November 2002 a Round
Table Conference of 17 Chief Justices held in the Peace Palace at The Hague,
adopted the Bangalore Principles of Judicial Conduct which are now widely
accepted as defining the international standards for ethical conduct by members
of the judiciary.
In 2002 Fiji’s judiciary
decided that it too should adopt and publish a clear open and transparent
statement of the ethical principles by which it holds itself to be bound, based
on the Bangalore Principles.
The promulgation of these
guidelines is also done as a gesture of goodwill and in recognition of the
concerns that have been raised, from time to time, by members of the public
about the declining standards of conduct and integrity of judicial officers.
These guidelines have had a
lengthy gestation since they were first mooted in the year 2000. There have been several drafts circulated and
discussed and submissions were received from judges and magistrates. I am confident that these guidelines reflect
the collective wisdom and support of the entire judiciary.
I wish to record my
appreciation to the Fiji Law & Justice Sector Program for its assistance in
bringing this booklet to fruition.
It is my pleasure to formally
publish these Guideline Principles for Judicial Officers in the Fiji Islands.
2005
CONTENTS
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