March 09, 2010

Judges, counsels crave to join Fiji judiciary

Thursday, 04 March 2010 00:41
By Susitha R. Fernando
Daily Mirror, Sri Lanka

Nearly hundreds of applicants including judges and counsels from both official and unofficial Bar from Sri Lanka are undergoing interviews to join the trouble-ridden Fiji judiciary, a confirmed source said.

The Chief Justice of Fiji, Anthony Gates who is currently in Sri Lanka to select judicial officers for his country is conducting interviews for a large number of Sri Lankan lawyers, state counsels and judges of Magistrate and High Courts who are willing to join the Fijian judiciary.

“We cannot exactly say how many are to be recruited but there would be more than one or two,” said Chief Justice Anthony Gates speaking to the Daily Mirror.

CJ Gates who had come to the country on February 21 said he had interviewed more than 70 who were willing to be judicial officers in Fiji.

“Initial contracts will be for two or three years depending on the leave the applicants can obtain.  But there are possibilities to go high and get promotions in the Fijian judiciary,” said CJ Gates.

“Among those interviewed were well educated, post graduates and experienced lawyers and judicial officers,” he added.

At present seven judicial officers were serving in Fiji together with judges from Hong Kong and Australia.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Looks like Gates is doing his old friend , the late Jaimi Samairawera [who had been the first Sri Lankan Consulate in Fiji in the hey days!!] tut..tut..tut