Court rejects former MSAF chief's appeal bid

The High Court in Suva has rejected former Maritime Safety Authority of Fiji (MSAF) chief executive officer Joweli Cawaki's application for permission to appeal an earlier decision that prevented him from challenging his dismissal through judicial review.

Justice Savenaca Banuve ruled that Cawaki's application failed to meet procedural requirements and that his proposed appeal had no realistic prospect of success.

Cawaki had challenged the termination of his appointment by MSAF and its board in December 2025, arguing that errors in the earlier ruling, along with concerns over ministerial consultation and procedural fairness, warranted further consideration.

However, the court found that the MSAF board had acted within its statutory powers.

It ruled that the requirement to consult relevant ministers did not give them the authority to decide whether the chief executive officer should be removed.

The final decision rested with the board, which had consulted the ministers before terminating Cawaki's appointment.

Justice Banuve also found that Cawaki had failed to establish an arguable case for judicial review.

The court dismissed his application for leave to appeal and refused his request to stay the earlier orders.

Cawaki was ordered to pay $1,000 in costs to each of the four respondents, totalling $4,000.