The Fiji Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Commission will be making its submission on the proposed Police Bill once the Bill has been tabled in Parliament.

The contentious Draft Police Bill 2020, has been talked about and there is a growing consensus that the proposed laws were violating human rights under the 2013 Constitution. Director Ashwin Raj said the Commission wrote to the Parliament requesting for a date to make a submission on the proposed Bill.

“We were advised that the Police Bill is yet to be tabled in the House,” Mr Raj said.

“Once the bill has been tabled, the commission will, in its substantive submission, call for alignment of the bill with the state’s human rights obligation under the domestic procedures and international conventions and treaties that Fiji has ratified.

“Any commentary on the draft bill before it is tabled in the Parliament is premature.”

The draft law empowers the Police to:

􀂄 Confiscate electronic items including mobile phones without warrants, take hold of property for their use and are not liable for damages and certain clauses intended to silence the media.

Acting Police Commissioner Rusiate Tudravu has called on the public to let their views be known through the submissions which have started online and later through face to face.

Edited by Ranoba Baoa

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