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To be out in 20 volumes available both hard copies and online
The consolidated laws of Fiji will be available for purchasing within a few weeks time, the Attorney-General and Minister for Economy, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, has confirmed. He was speaking to the business community during the Fiji Business Forum organised by the Fiji Chamber of Commerce and Industry at the Holiday Inn Suva yesterday. Out in 20 volumes with both hard copies and online copies available, Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said they would be competitively priced to ensure Fijians were able to afford them. The law books will be annotations, history of the legislation, history of amendments and will be done by subject area and subsidiary legislation. Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said: “It not only modernises our ability to access this, you don’t have to wait for 10 years till this is upgraded. “So if there is an amendment to an Act, once Parliament approves it, you will subscribe and you will get your amendment sent to you. “They will tell you which page to take out and which place to insert the update.”
While this is expected to be available online also for a fee, Mr SayedKhaiyum said Government wanted to make it accessible to Fijians for free whilst others can buy this.
With the availability of these new consolidated laws, Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said lawyers would not be able to dupe clients into paying exorbitant fees and it would mean ease for businesses. Government for the past few years has been revising our archaic laws. Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said the last time the laws of Fiji were consolidated was in 1985. “So for 30 years we have had something like a few thousand pieces of amendments and new laws being introduced,” he said.