[Source: FCS/ Facebook]

The Mercy Commission has granted more mercy in the last three years when compared to the period from 2011 to 2020.

In a statement released by the Office of the Attorney General, it says 24 inmates were granted mercy since 2022.

As for the period from 2011 to 2020 only 21 inmates were granted mercy.

Overall, more than forty petitioners have been granted mercy since 2011.

According to the Mercy Commission, between 2011 and 2024, a total of 79 petitions were received, resulting in 45 petitioners being granted mercy.

The Mercy Commission, established under Section 119 of the constitution, has appointed three new members to serve on the body responsible for reviewing petitions for clemency.

The new members include. Penijamini Lomaloma, Dr. Odille Chang, and Nirmala Nambiar who were appointed on 18th July this year for a three-year term.

They join Charles Ratakele, the sole remaining member from the previous Commission whose term began in April this year.

The Commissioners include a psychiatrist, a former banker, a magistrate, and a retired diplomat.

The commission says mercy is reserved for exceptional cases and each application is carefully examined on its own merits, with particular attention paid to the individual circumstances of the petitioner.

It says currently, Fiji does not have specific laws to operationalize Section 119 of the Constitution, leaving the Mercy Commission to consider petitions within the broad parameters of the Constitution.

It says parliament may eventually need to establish detailed provisions regarding the detailed factors the Commission may consider in its decision-making process.