Supreme Court Judge Justice David Ashton-Lewis, Janet Mason and Commissioner of FICAC Barbara Malimali

A senior Australian jurist and current Supreme Court Judge Justice David Ashton-Lewis has been appointed as the sole commissioner to inquire into the recent appointment of the Commissioner of the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption on September 5th.

Justice Ashton-Lewis was appointed by President Ratu Wiliame Katonivere.

The Commission of Inquiry will assess and determine whether the appointment process of Barbara Malimali as Commissioner of FICAC was conducted with integrity, fairness, and transparency, in accordance with the law.

The inquiry will also examine whether there were any improper or unlawful influences in the process leading to the appointment of the FICAC Commissioner.

Additionally, the Terms of Reference of the Commission will consider whether the process and the appointment of Commissioner Malimali were unlawfully or improperly influenced by vested interests, including current FICAC cases or investigations involving high-profile individuals, such as Members of Parliament, Ministers, and senior public servants.

Justice Ashton-Lewis was previously appointed by the President in 2023 to chair the Constitutional Tribunal to inquire into allegations of misconduct against former Chief Justice Kamal Kumar.

Chief Justice Kumar passed away before the Tribunal could commence hearings into the allegations.

The President has also appointed Janet Mason, a senior barrister, as counsel assisting the Commission.

Mason holds both New Zealand and Fijian citizenship.

Mason is admitted to both the Fiji and New Zealand Bars.

She has extensive experience in public, governance, and constitutional law, having served as Legal Counsel to the Great Council of Chiefs.

The newly appointed Commissioner, Justice Ashton-Lewis, and counsel assisting the Commission, Mason, are expected to arrive in Fiji soon and will be sworn into office.

Arrangements are already underway to establish a secretariat that will facilitate the work of the Commission.