Commissioners of Oaths and Justice of Peace are to serve the public and they must assist Fiji through a path of unselfish good governance.
Chief Justice Judge Anthony Gates made these comments at the swearing in ceremony for Commissioner of Oaths in Suva today.
“If you wish to remain a Justice of the Peace or a Commissioner of Oaths, and not have your appointments revoked, you must take your role seriously and give your best to the public,” Judge Gates said.
He told the 16 Commissioners of Oaths who were sworn in before him this morning that the function is not always “easy or convenient” but that it’s about public service.
“If you only joined up for the title and the letterhead you will not succeed in providing that public service for the community in which you live in”, he said.
However, commissioners were given the chief justice’s vote of confidence when he said he believed them to be public-spirited persons who had a sense of obligation and duty to their community.
The officers, many of whom have already served the public in their capacity as civil servants and community leaders, were told to act fairly, honestly and rightly.