Professor Brij Lal was celebrated all over the world but was forgotten in his homeland – Jon Apted

Prominent Lawyer and former Supervisor of Elections, Jon Apted says the late Professor Brij Lal was celebrated all over the world as a scholar but was all but forgotten in his homeland.

While speaking at the Condolence Gathering for Professor Lal at Jai Narayan College, Apted says he worked with Professor Lal as a legal counsel from 1995 to 1996 when he was one of the 3 Commissioners of the Fiji Constitution Review Commission chaired by the late Sir Paul Reeves.

He says by end of the process, Professor Lal was proud of not just the report and its recommendation but the personal growth he had achieved and the new perspective that he had gained from the journey.

Apted says the 1997 Constitution which was the result of the Review Commission is now history itself.

The lawyer adds Professor Lal and his wife Dr Padma Lal were exiled in 2009 after a radio interview he gave which was critical of the army takeover.

Apted further says the challenge for us is to rewrite our history again and to remember and honor people like Professor Lal and many other leaders who have contributed to our national history and our national life over the century.

Professor Lal was laid to rest in Australia today.