Law Reform Commission to also consider calls for removal of Information Act

As Government works to implement Information Act, and calls are being made to scrap it, Fiji Law Reform Commission Director, Doctor Raijeli Tuivaga says all submissions will be given due consideration.

University of Fiji Vice Chancellor Professor Shaista Shameem, in the university’s submission, has called for the Act to be scrapped as provision for access to information are enshrined in the Constitution through the Bill of Rights and Section 150.

While speaking to fijivillage News following a public consultation on the Information Amendment Bill, Accountability and Transparency Commission Bill and the Code of Conduct Bill at the Suvavou House this morning, Dr Tuivaga says this is certainly an option that would be looked at because they will go back and look in totality, the different options that have been raised.

Dr Tuivaga also says the media is recognized as a very important arm of our community in terms of having the duties to provide accurate information and keeping our public informed.

She says their submissions are definitely being given due consideration and weight as well.

The Commission Director says they will be collating all these views, balancing them up, and looking at various suggestions and then make recommendations for reform and compile them in a report that is expected to be handed to the Attorney General on February 17th.

She says they intend to make the report public within two weeks for everybody to see the outcomes, and if they have any, they can still give their comments on that final report.