of local government with its own councils, courts, treasury and executive officers. The co-operative movement, which is gaining momentum, offers a practical means of enabling the people to retain the essential features of their traditional way of life and at the same time play their part in the economic life of the country and meet the impact of modern commerce. The Indians, too, have prospered greatly. In twenty-five years their numbers doubled without any significant accretions from immigration and they are now the largest single section of the population. They are still settled mainly in or near the sugar producing areas, where there has been an increasing shortage of agricultural land for occupation by tenant farmers. Measures to make suitable land available, and at the same time to protect the interests of the Fijian owners by reserving amply for their present and future needs, were proposed by the Fijian Council of Chiefs and embodied in 1940 in an ordinance under which all Fijian lands were vested in a Board to be administered on behalf of and for the benefit of the native owners. In the constitutional field there has been considerable progress. In 1929 Letters Patent granted elective representation in the Legislative Council to the Fiji Indians and eight years later they were granted equal representation with the Fijians and Europeans. Economically there have been important changes. What was for long virtually a sugar economy has been broadened by the development of dairying and mixed farming; mining has become one of the principal industries, the Tavua field being among the major finds of the period anywhere in the world; and secondary industries have been soundly established. These developments have been reflected in increased revenue, making possible an extension of public works, education, sanitation, and medical services. In at least some of these fields Fiji has assumed a regional role in the south-western Pacific. The Fiji School of Medicine, the Fiji School of Agriculture, and the newly opened University of the South Pacific in Suva, all draw students from other English-speaking territories in the region; while the leprosy hospital at Makogai provides (though on a diminishing scale as the incidence of the disease declines) for patients from many other Pacific territories, and the Colonial War Memorial Hospital in Suva takes occasional patients from territories where medical facilities are less advanced than in Fiji. This central position has been strengthened by recent developments in sea and air communications, and Fiji has become a crossroads of the Pacific. Rotuma, a dependency of Fiji discovered in 1791 when a search was being made for the mutineers of the Bounty, was offered to Great Britain by the three principal Rotuman chiefs in 1879 and was formally annexed on the 13th May 1881. CONSTITUTION The Constitution is set out in the Fiji (Constitution) Orders 1966 and 1967. The Constitution contains provisions relating to the protection of fundamental rights and freedoms, the powers and duties of the Governor, the Executive Council, the Legislative Council, the Judiciary, the Public Service, and finance. It provides that every person in Fiji regardless of race, place of origin, political opinion, colour, creed or sex is entitled to the fundamental rights of life, liberty, security of the person and the protection of the law, freedom of conscience, expression, assembly, and association; protection for the privacy of his home and other property and for the deprivation of property without compensation. The enjoyment of these rights, however, is subject to the proviso that they do not prejudice the rights and freedom of others, or the public interest. The Constitution provides for a Governor and Commander-in-Chief appointed by the Queen and a Council of Ministers appointed by the Governor. The Council of Ministers comprises the Chief Minister (who is also responsible for co-ordinating economic planning and for Government information services); four public officers who have been charged with ministerial responsibilities, namely, the Chief Secretary, Attorney-General, Minister of Finance, and Minister for Fijian Affairs and Local Government; the Ministers for Communications, Works and Tourism; Commerce, Industry and Cooperatives; Labour; Social Services; Natural Resources; and the Assistant Minister for Social Services. The responsibility for defence, external affairs, internal security and the public service is vested in the Governor. Subject to certain exceptions the Governor, in the exercise of his functions under the Constitution or other laws, is obliged to consult and act in accordance with the advice of the Council of Ministers. The Governor may act against the advice of the Council of Ministers in certain circumstances but he must first obtain the approval of a Secretary of State unless the matter is so urgent that it is necessary for him to act before obtaining this approval. In such a case, the Governor must report his action and his reasons to the Secretary of State. The Legislative Council comprises not more than four official and thirty-six elected members. Of this latter number nine Fijians, nine Indians and seven General members are elected on three communal rolls. In addition, two Fijian members are elected by the Great Council of Chiefs. For the purpose of electionl on communal rolls, Rotumans and other Pacific islanders are grouped with Fijians, and Chinese and other races (excepting Indians) are grouped with Europeans as 'General' electors. A further nine members of the Legislative Council are elected under a system of cross-voting under which seats are reserved in equal proportions for members of these three groups. These members are elected by people of all races voting together. The Legislative Council is presided over by a Speaker who may be elected either from within the Council or from persons outside who are qualified to be elected to the Council. A Deputy Speaker must be elected from among the Legislative Council members. Justice is administered by the Fiji Court of Appeal, the Supreme Court, the Magistrates' Courts of the First, Second and Third Classes and Provincial and Tikina (District) Courts. Appeals from the Courts of the territory in criminal and civil cases lie to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council. At present the Constitution provides for the constitution of the Supreme Court of Fiji as a superior court of record presided over by the Chief Justice and such other Judges called Puisne Judges as may be appointed from time to time by Letters Patent. The Governor is empowered to appoint from time to time one or more temporary additional Judges. The Supreme Court exercises within the territory all the jurisdiction, powers and authority which are vested in or capable of being exercised by Her Majesty's High Court of Justice in England. The Fiji Court of Appeal has jurisdiction to hear and determine appeals from the Supreme Court and from the High Court of the Western Pacific. The Governor appoints legally qualified persons to hold Magistrates' Courts of the first class and fit and proper persons to hold courts of the second and third classes. Charges against children and young persons unless they are jointly charged with adults are brought to juvenile courts. Provincial and Tikina (District) Courts constituted under the Fijian Affairs Ordinance exercise limited civil and criminal jurisdiction. LAND POLICY Land in Fiji is owned by the Crown, private freeholders, and Fijians. The Crown owns 87,000 acres of freehold land plus a further 85,000 acres of land declared vacant by the Native Lands Commission and commonly known as Crown Land Schedule B, and 147,000 acres of Fijian land whose owning units have become extinct, known as Schedule A land. Much of the Schedule A land, plus some of the Schedule B, has been recommended for reservation for Fijian units which are short of land. Crown freehold may not be sold except in very special circumstances and only then with the approval of the Secretary of State. Crown land may be obtained by way of lease. The area of land owned by Fijians is 3,748,000 acres, owned communally by more than 6,600 recognised land-owning units. Administrative control of it is vested in the Native Land Trust Board by virtue of the Native Land Trust Ordinance. The Board is presided over by the Governor and contains a majority of Fijian members. A proportion of Fijian land has been reserved from leasing under a policy of securing to the owners adequate lands to provide for their future needs. This reserved land may be leased only to members of the Fijian race. Fijian owned land outside reserve may be leased by the Native Land Trust Board to anyone. In July of 1966 new legislation was passed giving tenants of agricultural land better security of tenure, protection against unduly high rents and certain rights of compensation when leases are not renewed to them on expiry. A minimum period of ten years is prescribed both for original leases and also for renewals of leases (of which there can be two). The Hon. Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara, KBE, Chief Minister The Hon. Ratu P. K. Ganilau, CMG, OBE, DSo, Minister for Fijian Affairs and Local Government The Hon. Ratu E. T. T. Cakobau, CBE, OBE (Mil), MC, ED, Minister of Labour The Hon. C. A. Stinson, OBE, Minister for Communications, Works and Tourism The Hon. D. W. Brown, MBE, Minister for Natural Resources The Hon. J. Mavoa, Minister for Social Services The Hon. K. S. Reddy, Assistant Minister for Social Services Speaker: The Hon. R. G. Q. Kermode The Hon. Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara, KBE, Chief Minister The Hon. Ratu P. K. Ganilau, CMG, DSO, OBE, Minister for Fijian Affairs and Hon. The Ratu E. T. T. Cakobau, CBE, OBE (Mil.), MC, ED, Minister for Labour The Hon. D. W. Brown, MBE, Minister for Natural Resources The Hon. Ratu D. Toganivalu, Assistant Minister, Chief Minister's Office Co-operatives The Hon. P. D. Naqasima, Assistant Minister for Communications, The Hon. Ratu G. K. Cakobau, OBE, Assistant Minister for Fijian Affairs and The Hon. J. B. Naisara, Assistant Minister for Natural Resources The Hon. C. A. Shah, Indian Member for North-East Viti Levu CIVIL ESTABLISHMENT Governor of Fiji: His Excellency Sir Robert Foster, KCMG OFFICE OF THE CHIEF MINISTER Commissioner for Rural Development: Public Relations Officer: E. J. F. Hackett, OBE Director of Localisation and Training: OFFICE OF THE CHIEF SECRETARY Chief Secretary: G. P. Lloyd, CMG Assistant Chief Secretary: C. A. A. Hughes Controller of Organisation and Establish- Establishment Officer: V. D. Prasad Commissioner, Central Division: J. R. Commissioner, Eastern Division: J. B. Takala OBE Government Printer: J. C. Butler Fiji Government Representative in Australia: CROWN LAW OFFICE Attorney-General: Justin Lewis, MBE, QC MINISTRY OF FINANCE Minister of Finance: H. P. Ritchie, CMG Deputy Secretary (Finance and Treasury): Deputy Secretary (Economic and Develop- Chief Accountant: D. B. Walcot Comptroller of Customs: E. T. J. Mabbs Controller of Government Supplies: R. H. MINISTRY OF FIJIAN AFFAIRS AND Minister for Fijian Affairs and Local Secretary, Fijian Affairs and Local Govern- MINISTRY OF NATURAL RESOURCES Director of Agriculture: K. J. Garnett Director of Geological Survey: D. Green MINISTRY OF SOCIAL SERVICES Secretary for Social Services: R. W. Baker Controller of Prisons: W. H. Morgan, Chief Social Development Officer: S. Lal MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS, Secretary for Communications, Works and Controller of Transport and Civil Aviation: Director of Works: J. P. Barron Director of Marine: Captain P. G. Hough (Acting) AUDIT DEPARTMENT K. A. W. Johnson, OBE JUDICIARY Chief Justice: C. J. Hammett Puisne Judges: R. Knox-Mawer; M. Tikaram Senior Magistrates: A. J. Jeddere-Fisher; C. H. Grant; H. K. Nair (acting) READING LIST R DERRICK, R. A. The Fiji Islands. Government Printer, Suva, Revised edition, 1957. FURNAS, J. C. Anatomy of Paradise. Gollancz, London, 1950. BELSHAW, Professor Cyril S. Under the Ivi Tree. Routledge and Kegan Paul, BURNS, Sir Alan. Fiji. H.M. Stationery Office, London, 1963. Handbook of Fiji, 1965, edited and compiled by Judy Tudor. Pacific Publications Pty Ltd, Sydney. DERRICK, R. A. A History of Fiji, which deals with the period up to 1874. Government Printer, Suva. LEGGE, J. D. Britain in Fiji, 1858-1880. Macmillan, London, 1958. MILNER, G. B. Fijian Grammar. Government Printer, Suva, 1956. THOMSON, Basil. The Fijians. Heineman, London, 1908. |