Most Fijians avoid courts due to high costs and complexity: Report

Most Fijians are turning their backs on the country's justice system, with 87 per cent choosing not to pursue formal legal action due to high costs, complexity, and the belief that it won't help them.

The revelation comes from the Hague Institute's Justice Needs and Satisfaction survey, cited in the Final Report on Fiji's Law and Justice Sector released this year.

The report paints a troubling picture of a justice system that has become inaccessible to the very people it is meant to serve.

"87% of Fijians did not pursue formal legal redress due to cost, complexity, and perception of inefficacy," the report states.

The findings are backed by research showing that rural communities are particularly affected, with many depending on unlicensed legal advisors because they cannot afford proper representation.

The Legal Aid Commission, while available, faces overwhelming demand that exceeds its staffing and infrastructure capacity.

Reform roadmap

However, a comprehensive Reform Roadmap for 2025-2029 has been developed to address these critical gaps.

Key initiatives include:

• Deploying three mobile legal clinics in Western and Northern divisions by mid-2026;
• Expanding Alternative Dispute Resolution to handle 50 per cent of civil cases by 2027;
• Establishing community paralegal accreditation in rural areas.

The roadmap also proposes mandatory pro bono service requirements for lawyers and a multilingual legal awareness campaign in iTaukei and Hindi.

Digital transformation is central to the reform plan, with e-filing systems planned for Magistrate Courts in Suva, Lautoka and Labasa by early 2027.

A Ministry of Justice Dashboard will track case backlogs and service delivery times, bringing transparency to a system that many Fijians currently view as opaque and unresponsive.

The reforms aim to restore public confidence in Fiji's justice institutions and ensure all citizens can access their constitutional right to fair legal representation.