Parliament will today debate a new Adoption (Amendment) Bill 2025, which aims to strengthen child protection measures and streamline the adoption process in Fiji.
The Bill, tabled yesterday by Minister for Children Sashi Kiran, seeks to amend the Adoption Act 2020 to give courts greater authority in appointing guardians and to introduce new procedures for appeals and court rules.
A key amendment introduces Section 22A, allowing the court to appoint a guardian for a child during any stage of the adoption process if the birth parents are deceased, absent, incapacitated, or have voluntarily relinquished custody. The guardian would be required to act in the best interests of the child and ensure the child’s views are heard in court, based on age and maturity.
The Bill also gives the Chief Justice power to make rules on court procedures under a new Section 58A, and provides a formal appeals process under Section 59A, enabling anyone aggrieved by a decision of the Director or the Permanent Secretary to appeal to the Minister within 21 working days.
The proposed amendments aim to make Fiji’s adoption framework more responsive and transparent, ensuring that decisions about children’s welfare are handled with consistency and accountability.
Minister Kiran told Parliament yesterday that about 400 children are awaiting adoption in Fiji.
