Fiji: Information on the police
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 February 1993 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | FJI13156 |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Fiji: Information on the police, 1 February 1993, FJI13156, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6aba4a8.html [accessed 1 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
According to Country Reports 1991, police sometimes physically abuse detainees (1992, 849). In November 1990, for instance, five members of the military pleaded guilty to the abduction and beating of a university professor (Ibid.). Corporal punishment is permitted by law and is administered under medical supervision (Ibid.). According to the Fijian law of arrest and detention, which follows the British model, a person can be arrested only if there is a reasonable belief that a breach of the criminal law has been or is about to be committed (Ibid.). Arrested persons must be brought to court without "undue delay," that is, within 24 hours or within 48 hours if the person was arrested over the week-end (Ibid.). Arbitrary detention is illegal, and there have been no documented cases of it since 1987 (Ibid.).
According to the same source, prison sentence for rape increased in 1991 but the source did not specify the number of years (Ibid., 855). Few cases are in fact prosecuted because the victims usually do not come forward with their complaints (Ibid.).
According to Agence France Presse, violence against women increased since 1987 (AFP 9 Feb. 1992). The source states that the "Fiji police force was demoralised by the army's takeover of internal security, and the resulting indiscipline led to permissiveness towards crime" (Ibid.).
According to Amnesty International, seven civil rights activists who had participated in a non-violent protest against the Constitution in October 1990 were charged with sedition, and abducted and tortured by army officers (Amnesty International Report 1992 1992, 116-117). "The defendants, who were free on bail, continued to have restrictions placed on their freedom of movement. They were still awaiting trial at the end of 1991" (Ibid.).
Additional and/or corroborating information is currently unavailable to the DIRB in Ottawa.
References
Agence France Presse (AFP). 9 February 1992. "Violence Against Women Rising in Fiji." (NEXIS)
Amnesty International. 1991. Amnesty International Report 1991. New York: Amnesty International U.S.A.
Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1991. 1992. U.S. Department of State. Washington: U.S. Government Printing Office.
Attachments
Agence France Presse (AFP). 9 February 1992. "Violence Against Women Rising in Fiji," pp. 29-31 (NEXIS)
Amnesty International. 1991. Amnesty International Report 1991. New York: Amnesty International U.S.A., pp. 116-117.
Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1991. 1992. U.S. Department of State. Washington: U.S. Government Printing Office, pp. 848-958.
