“People in our custody have their rights”
This strong comment was made by Deputy Police Commissioner Rusiate Tudravu to police officers who are part of a two weeks curriculum writing course focusing on the 1st Hour Procedure and Video Recording Interview room procedures.
It is being done with the help of the United Nations Development Programme.
Speaking at the Police Academy in Nasova, Tudravu told the officers that they need to learn to swim themselves.
The police interrogation procedures are aimed at shifting interrogations to a less confrontational nature; changing the power dynamics and ensuring that witness statements were captured via video recordings.
The First Hour Procedure was initiated as a pilot programme in 2016 and it has already been a success with the provision of access to legal counsel to more than 3,000 Fijians since the inception of the programme in November 2016.
