PM awaits legal advice on Attorney-General candidates

Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka is waiting for the Solicitor-General’s Office to confirm which Government-side lawyers qualify for appointment as Attorney-General.

Ministers Lynda Tabuya, Filimoni Vosarogo and Mosese Bulitavu, as well as Assistant Minister for Justice Ratu Josaia Niudamu, are among the names being discussed following Siromi Turaga’s resignation.

“The Solicitor-General’s Office hasn’t reverted,” Mr Rabuka told this masthead yesterday.

“First of all, qualification and then suitability.”

Mr Rabuka said the sooner he received the advice, the sooner he would go to Government House to meet President Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu.

MPs considered first

Mr Rabuka indicated he would not take on the portfolio himself because he was “....not qualified”.

He said he would consider candidates from outside Parliament only if no suitable MPs were available.

“Not if we have qualified MPs,” he said, referring to his appointment of Graham Leung.

Asked whether Ratu Josaia met the requirements for the Attorney-General’s role, Mr Rabuka said he would need to verify his eligibility.

He did not respond when asked whether Ms Tabuya, Mr Vosarogo and Mr Bulitavu were on his shortlist.

What the Constitution says

Section 96 of the 2013 Constitution states that the Attorney-General must be a member of Parliament unless the Prime Minister determines that no MP from his party, coalition partners or supportive independent MPs is qualified, suitable or available.

The appointee must have been admitted as a lawyer for at least 15 years and must have no disciplinary findings.

Among the names being discussed:

• Ms Tabuya has been a lawyer since 1995.
• Mr Vosarogo was admitted in 1999. In 2023, the Fiji Law Society objected to his proposed appointment over earlier disciplinary charges. The appointment did not proceed.
• Mr Bulitavu has a law degree but has not completed the diploma required for admission as a lawyer.
• Ratu Josaia, the Assistant Minister for Justice, was admitted in August 2011, meaning he had not yet reached the 15-year threshold as of October 2026.

Why it matters

The Attorney-General is the Government’s chief legal adviser and can bring election petitions before the Court of Disputed Returns. The appointment is significant with the next general election due by February 2027.

Until a replacement is appointed, the Solicitor-General’s Office will provide legal advice.

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