Hannahs Lawyer Yet To Sight Deportation Order

Lawyer representing deported Fiji Times publisher Evan Hannah told an appeals court judge today that the deportation order against Hannah has not been presented in court and they have never seen the document.

While making submissions before a single judge of the appeals court, Justice John Byrns, John Apted stressed that even his client has not sighted the deportation order. He also revealed that no formal order was issued by the Interim Minister for Defense and Immigration Ratu Epeli Ganilau for Hannah's immediate deportation.

Solicitor General Christopher Pryde told the court that the interim minister reached an opinion that Hannah was a threat to national security and verbally directed his permanent secretary to issue the order for Hannah's deportation.

Apted then raised concerns that the detention order which was used to the commissioner of prisons to detain Hannah for seven days before he is deported which was not adhered to as immigration officers executed the order and were in breach of it.

He said the permanent secretary for Defense and Immigration has the prerogative to decide how much time can be given and he said this is to enable the prohibited immigrant time to challenge his detention in the courts.

Pryde responded by saying that the order may have been written out on an old Deportation Order Form which gives a person seven days time before being deported. The case continues this afternoon.