Koya accuses Turaga of moving ‘too slowly’ on law reforms

The Government’s law reform programme came under fire in Parliament yesterday, with Opposition MP Faiyaz Koya accusing Justice Minister Siromi Turaga of moving “too slowly” on key reforms.

The criticism came during a heated exchange as Mr Koya questioned why the Referendum Bill remained pending, claiming that Mr Turaga had spent three-and-a-half years in Government but the work was still moving slowly.

This is not the first time a State official has expressed a similar view about Mr Turaga being “slow”.

Mr Koya told Mr Turaga that law reforms needed to be properly carried out and questioned whether the Government had undertaken enough consultation and groundwork before changing laws.

“Reforming a law and reforming a law properly are two very different things,” Mr Koya said.

He questioned whether the Government had carried out a proper gap analysis or audit of Fiji’s laws before deciding which laws needed reform.

The exchange comes as Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka says the Government is yet to identify a substantive Attorney-General.

Mr Rabuka said the current Attorney-General, Mr Turaga, would remain in the role in an acting capacity, while noting that his work had been “very slow” since former Attorney-General Graham Leung left the Government.

He said the Government was looking for someone who could manage the full workload and demands of the position.

Mr Koya’s criticism came after Mr Turaga outlined seven ongoing law reform references before Parliament.

These include reviews of the Mining Act, Quarries Act, Online Safety Act, Security Industry Act and human trafficking laws.

The Fiji Law Reform Commission is also reviewing agriculture-related laws dating back to 1877, as well as the Liquor Act 2006.

Mr Turaga said Fiji could not build a modern future with laws belonging to another era.

“Commission is working to close gaps and update outdated laws with members of the public through consultations” he said.

However, Mr Turaga also said work had been completed on electoral law reforms and the State Lands Bill 2026.