The late Chief Justice Kamal Kumar

The coalition government has paid tribute to the family of the late Chief Justice, Kamal Kumar, who passed away at the Oceania Hospital in Suva earlier this week.

Minister for Justice Siromi Turaga reflected on Kumar’s lifelong commitment, noting that throughout his adult life, he was actively involved in charitable activities and provided financial assistance to numerous students pursuing their education.

“He had a quiet demeanour and never sought acknowledgement for his social services to the community, the government of the day, or the legal fraternity, and I’m sure the previous governments appreciated his service to the people of Fiji. The Coalition government would like to pay tribute and show sympathy to his family.”

Turaga says that in 1994, late Kumar decided to study law and enrolled at the Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane.

After completing his Bachelor of Law degree in March 2000, the late Kumar was admitted as a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Australia and Fiji and returned to employment with Young Associates as a solicitor.

In May 2012, he was appointed as a puisne judge of the High Court of Fiji.

He was subsequently appointed as acting chief justice in 2019 and confirmed as the chief justice of Fiji.

Late Kumar, who is survived by his wife and two sons, hails from a family of six brothers and three sisters.