Government has amended the Fiji Constitutional Process (Constituent Assembly and Adoption of Constitution) Decree 2012 ("Decree") to further suspend the requirement to obtain permits for meetings in a public place.
The requirement to obtain permits for meetings in a public place was suspended in July 2012 until such when the Constitution Commission presented the draft Constitution to the President.
As earlier announced by the Prime Minister, the next stage of the constitutional process involves the appointment of the Constituent Assembly ("Assembly") which will debate and adopt the draft Constitution from January 2013.
Given that the members of the Assembly will be required to hold meetings and discuss the draft Constitution with their constituencies and given the need to facilitate wide public consultation on the draft Constitution by the members of the Assembly, Government has decided that the requirement under the Public Order Act to obtain permits for meetings in a public place will be further suspended until such time when the President provides his assent to the new Constitution.
As such, any person or group can continue to hold or organise any meeting in a public place without having to obtain any permit under the Public Order Act, until such time when a new Constitution is assented to by the President.
However, as before, permits will still be required for any meeting on any public road, in any public park or garden or in any sporting arena. Permits will still be required for any public processions.
The Attorney-General and Minister for Justice said: "whilst all persons or groups can continue to hold or organise meetings in a public place without the need for a permit, it is important to highlight that the law does not permit any person or group to engage in any act that will constitute an offence under the Public Order such as causing disturbance in a public place, incitement to violence, and religious and racial vilification."
-ENDS-