THE Government is considering the future legal status of the Great Council of Chiefs , with discussions in progress between the Solicitor-General’s Office and the Ministry of iTaukei Affairs, acting Attorney-General Siromi Turaga told Parliament yesterday.
Mr Turaga said the process would require more than simply deciding whether the council should be given a legal status.
“This is an important undertaking. The question is not simply whether the institution should have a legal status.”
He said the Government would also need to examine the institution’s composition, functions and relationship with other State institutions, as well as its position within Fiji’s constitutional framework.
The Great Council of Chiefs, traditionally regarded as a key institution of iTaukei governance, was suspended in 2007 and its statutory foundation was subsequently removed by decree in 2012.
Mr Turaga said any decision on its future must be made carefully and with meaningful consultation with the vanua.
“That requires careful consideration and genuine engagement with the vanua.”
