Kelera Ditaiki 
The government is reviewing laws dating back more than 100 years to ensure they still meet the needs of the country today.
Minister for Justice and Acting Attorney General Siromi Turaga says some agriculture laws date back to 1877, including laws covering animals, livestock and agricultural practices.
He says many of these laws were written for a very different Fiji and may no longer be fit for purpose.
“Our understanding of rights and responsibilities has developed. And so the question is not simply whether our own law remains on our statute books. The question is whether the law remains fit for purpose.”
The Fiji Law Reform Commission is also reviewing laws covering the courts, mining, quarries, online safety, the security industry, human trafficking and liquor.
Turaga says Fiji has changed significantly, with new technology, population growth and changes in the economy and society.
He says the law must keep pace with those changes.
Since its re-establishment in 2023, the Commission has worked on reforms covering education, immigration, passports, citizenship and land.
It has also completed a review of Fiji’s electoral laws, with proposed changes aimed at improving the management of elections.
Turaga says the Commission is working with Government agencies, institutions and communities to identify gaps and outdated provisions.
The aim is to ensure Fiji’s laws continue to protect and serve its people.
