A comprehensive review of the Police Act 1965 is now underway.
Ministry of Policing, Fiji Police Force and the Office of the Solicitor-General, are involved in the process.
A legal consultant has been engaged to support this process, with the goal of modernising Fiji’s policing laws to better reflect current realities and the rights and expectations of all Fijians.
Already, a series of high-level consultations has already been done involving the Minister for Policing, the Commissioner of Police, the Acting Deputy Commissioner of FICAC and a team from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.
Some areas being addressed in the review are to ensure police powers are clearly defined and balanced with constitutional and human rights obligations, modernising police practices in line with advancements in science and technology, providing legal protection for informers and whistleblowers, establishing a national framework for community policing and promoting training, professionalism, and sensitivity within the Fiji Police Force.
An online public submission portal will be launched by the end of this week, inviting all Fijians to share their views on how the Police Act can be improved.
In early August, the review team will release a Consultation Paper outlining key policy issues and a draft Police Bill reflecting proposed legislative reforms.
