Bill to amend the Act to disestablish the Anti-Corruption Division of the High Court and the Magistrates Court to be debated on Thursday

The High Court (Amendment) Bill 2023 which proposes to delete the provision of the establishment of the Anti-Corruption Division of the High Court and also amends the Magistrates Court Act by deleting the establishment of the Anti-Corruption Division of the Magistrates Court, will be debated in parliament on Thursday.

Attorney General, Siromi Turaga tabled the bill under Parliamentary Standing Order 51 to be considered by parliament without delay; and that the bill must be debated and voted upon by parliament on Thursday.

Turaga says in 2021, the High Court Act and the Magistrates Court Act were amended to establish the Anti-Corruption Division of the High Court and the Anti-Corruption Division of the Magistrates Court respectively.

However, he says the amendments in 2021 did not provide any specific improvement to the administration for dealing with anti-corruption matters which, in some instances, were dealt with outside the respective Anti-Corruption Divisions, such as proceedings in the outer islands.

The Attorney General says the bill, therefore, seeks to amend the Act to disestablish the Anti-Corruption Division of the High Court and the Anti-Corruption Division of the Magistrates Court.

He says consultations were held with the Office of the Chief Registrar, the Office of the Solicitor General and public consultations were also held in Suva, Nadi and Labasa.

Turaga says the bill also provides for the transitional provisions for any pending proceedings instituted by the Commissioner of FICAC in the Anti Corruption Divisions of the Magistrates Court, as well as the High Court, prior to the commencement of the amending legislation to be transferred to the Magistrates Court or High Court, as the case may be.

While opposing the motion to debate and vote on the bill on Thursday, FijiFirst MP, Jone Usamate says he was flabbergasted when the government did that with the very first bill they brought into parliament, and he says this is hypocrisy, when you condemn something continually and the very first thing you do, you come and do exactly the thing that you condemn.

In response, the Attorney General says they are here to correct some of the injustices, the same process that was used, by now the other side.

Turaga says the fact is, they are taking away what was created in 2021, for the interest of justice.

29 MPs supported the motion, 25 voted against it while 1 did not vote.