University of Fiji vice-chancellor Professor Shaista Shameem has stayed silent on a letter of complaint, allegedly signed by her, that’s now doing the rounds on social media.
The letter, addressed to Judicial Services Commission (JSC) chair Justice Salesi Temo, takes aim at Justice David Ashton-Lewis, the commissioner of the inquiry into the appointment of Barbara Malimali as FICAC commissioner.
In the letter, Professor Shameem accuses Mr Ashton-Lewis of having “accosted” her in public last December, speaking loudly and assertively about the 2013 Constitution and suggesting the Supreme Court could change the law and influence Cabinet to have it repealed.
“I was quite shocked by this method of discussing a court matter and attempted to continue with my plans to get to the lobby and go to dinner, but he stopped me from leaving by looming over me, pointing fingers as though lecturing and stating things like, ‘no, no, you have to listen, you know this thing can be changed because it is an Act.”
“We will give an opinion which then will lead the Government to repeal the Constitution as an Act’,” Ms Shameem allegedly wrote.
“He told me the process will be that the Supreme Court will provide its opinion, as above, which will go to the Cabinet, which will then formulate a law to repeal the Constitution, and it will be repealed, and ‘it’s gone’.
“He said there were two other judges on the Supreme Court who are ‘with me and we can vote the others out’.”
Ms Shameem said Justice Ashton-Lewis’s public discussion of a court matter “poses a risk to law-making in Fiji because he said the court can change the law”.
“In my view Judge Ashton-Lewis divulged to me and those around outside the GPH lift that he has prejudged, along with, it seems, two other Supreme Court judges, the outcome of the reference to the Supreme Court on the 2013 Constitution, by the court, the Government and Parliament.
“I have sought advice from several different avenues on what to do about this incident and all have advised that a complaint should be lodged with the proper authority, the JSC.”
When contacted yesterday, Ms Shameem said she would make “no comment at all” regarding the letter.
Questions sent to Justice Temo’s office remained unanswered when this issue went to press.
