Attorney-General and Minister for Justice Siromi Turaga says the coalition government is determined to review and repeal the laws that suppress basic human rights, media freedom, freedom of expression, freedom of association, and individual and group rights, however, FijiFirst MP Faiyaz Koya claims that freedom of expression and association has never been suppressed under the Constitution.
In his ministerial statement, Turaga says all key decisions will be reached based on conscience, relevance and national interest, and they will listen to the people and work with all identifiable stakeholders across the sectors and sections of the communities.
The AG says they are confident that freedom of speech and freedom of association will inadvertently promote participatory and inclusive policy-making initiatives.
Turaga highlighted they will also repeal and review iTaukei-related laws that marginalised iTaukei rights and some land laws were rushed into parliament without consulting the iTaukei community, landowners and the iTaukei Land Trust Board.
FijiFirst MP Faiyaz Koya says Fiji’s Constitution emanates from what was done in 2007 as it was a consultation exercise that came out of the People’s Charter for Change.
He says all freedoms are covered under the Bill of Rights in the Constitution.
Koya says under the 2013 Constitution, freedom of expression has never been suppressed, and the are are laws in the Constitution, where a person can go to court if they feel their rights have been undermined.
