Police seek mandatory drug testing for officers

The Fiji Police Force has called for constitutional reform to allow mandatory drug testing of its officers, saying current legal protections are limiting discipline and accountability within the organisation.

Appearing before the Constitutional Review Committee (CRC), Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Viliame Soko said Section 113 of the Constitution, which guarantees the right to refuse medical procedures without consent, has created challenges in addressing internal drug use and corruption.

SSP Soko said the situation has created a “legal vacuum”, making it difficult for the Police Force to carry out consistent and enforceable drug testing.

He warned that officers operating under the influence of illicit substances posed a serious threat to public safety, compromised investigations and undermined the rule of law.

“The inability to maintain testing hinders our efforts to purge corruption and drug-related crime within the institution,” SSP Soko told the commission.

He stressed that policing requires a higher standard of discipline and integrity than most professions.

Under the proposed changes, the Constitution would be amended to allow mandatory medical testing for members of disciplinary forces, including the Police, under clearly defined legal safeguards.

These would include strict protocols on how samples are collected, handled, and processed, as well as protection to ensure privacy and prevent abuse.

SSP Soko stressed that the proposal is not about removing fundamental rights but balancing them against broader public interest.

He pointed to international human rights standards, which allow certain limitations on individual rights when necessary, in a democratic society particularly in high-risk professions such as policing.

The reform, he said, would also serve as a deterrent, sending a clear message that the Fiji Police Force is committed to maintaining a drug-free institution and restoring public confidence.

“This is about ensuring that those entrusted with enforcing the law are themselves operating within it sober, disciplined, and accountable,” SSP Soko said.

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