The President Ratu Josefa Iloilo has made a promulgation gazette February 26th 2008 to amend the Immigration Act which prohibits any legal challenge of decisions made by the Minister responsible relating to Removal orders.
The promulgation which was done a day after Fiji Sun Publisher and Managing Director Russel Hunter's deportation states that any decision by the Minister responsible for issuing Removal Orders under the Immigration Act is final and conclusive and shall not be questioned or reviewed in any court of law.
Interim Minister for Defence Ratu Epeli Ganilau said there is no sinister motive behind the deportation of Russel Hunter and the promulgation the next day. According to Ratu Epeli it is just a coincidence.
Ratu Epeli maintains that the reasons for Hunter's deportation will not be made public. However, he confirms that while a deportation order would have taken days to executed, the Removal Order required Hunter to be removed as soon as possible.
He said that is why Hunter was detained the same night.
Feature
Changes to prohibit removal orders
