Leave traditional titles outside court, lawyer told

People must leave their traditional titles outside the court because in a court of law, a ‘Ratu’ and a commoner are equal before the law. High Court judge Justice Salesi Temo made the comment while addressing state lawyer, Lee Burney, following sightings of the traditional title ‘Ratu’ on the disclosures of Josua Colanaudolu. Colanaudolu appeared before Justice Temo in Suva yesterday. He is charged with two counts of rape, one count of abduction and one count of murder in relation to the death of Mere Ailevu, 14, at Pacific Harbour last month.

He is also facing three other rape charges from 1998, 2002 and 2012. Justice Temo directed prosecution not to use the title of ‘Adi’ or ‘Ratu’ to the name of an accused and requested Mr Burney to tell the drafters of the charges that any accused person were not to come to court with these titles because everyone was equal before the law. Meanwhile, Mr Burney yesterday made an application that all cases be consolidated. There was no objection too by Colanaudolu following talks with defence lawyer, Isireli Romanu. Justice Temo granted the application and gave the prosecution 21 days to file all disclosures for the consolidated matter. He then ordered that Colanaudolu be further remanded in custody before the case would be called again on May 6 for mention, for consolidated information and disclosures to be filed. Edited by Naisa Koroi