THE Fiji Law Society has opposed any future grant of immunity from prosecution for people who stage coups or attempt to change Fiji’s Constitution through unconstitutional means.
Making its submission to the Special Committee on the Constitution (Amendment) Bill, society president Graham Leung said the military must remain subordinate to the elected civilian government and should not determine the country’s political direction.
“Most societies concur with the opinion of the Supreme Court with respect to the grant of immunities for past wrongdoing and treason,” he said.
“However, most society is opposed to any future grant of immunity from prosecution for any person in this country who is intent on staging any further coups or bringing about changes to the constitution through means other than those set up in the constitution.
“Our second point as a society is that we propose that the military of this country should always be subordinate, should always listen to the civilian government elected to the people.”
Mr Leung said “the army is not and should never be the final arbiter of what is right for this country”.
“That is a constitutional authority that is vested in the Parliament of this country.
“And that is a universal practice which obtains in almost every country in the world which purports to be democratic.”
