Chief Justice of Fiji
The chief justice is Fiji's highest judicial officer. The office and its responsibilities are set out in Chapter 5 of the 2013 Constitution of Fiji. The chief justice is appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister.
| Chief Justice of Fiji | |
|---|---|
| Tui Levu e Viti (Fijian) फिजी के मुख्य न्यायाधीश (Fiji Hindi) | |
Coat of arms of the Republic of Fiji | |
Incumbent Salesi Temo (acting) since 30 January 2023 | |
| Style | The Honourable |
| Member of | Judiciary of Fiji |
| Reports to | Prime Minister of Fiji |
| Appointer | President of Fiji |
| Term length | permanent basis- age limit 75 year (to retire) |
| Formation | 1872 |
| First holder | Charles Rossiter Forwood |
| Judiciary of Fiji |
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| Institutions |
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He is appointed by the President, and nominated by the prime minister, who is required by the Constitution to consult the attorney-general (Section 106-1). Under the previous 1997 Constitution, the Prime Minister was required to consult with the leader of the opposition. The appointment is permanent, until the chief justice reaches the age of 75 years (Section 110-1).
Like other judges, the chief justice need not be a Fijian citizen. When Sir Timoci Tuivaga retired in 2002, there were calls from the Citizens Constitutional Forum (a pro-democracy, human rights organization) for a foreigner to be appointed, to restore the independence of the judiciary that had been seen to be politically compromised by the 2000 coup. The government, however, appointed Fijian Daniel Fatiaki. In 2007, the military-backed interim government appointed Australian citizen Anthony Gates as the acting chief justice; he became the permanent chief justice on 5 December 2008.