Legal professionals urged to stay true to democratic values
LEGAL professionals and policymakers, as true gatekeepers, need to stay true to democratic values and the rule of law.
The Australian High Commission charge’ de’ affaires John Williams mentioned this at the official opening of the 24th Attorney-General’s Conference on Denarau Island on Thursday.
“But I’d like today to defer to Lord Bingham’s famous 2006 speech at Cambridge, where he sets out the following core principles, along with a robust call to arms for legal professionals and policymakers, as the true gatekeepers, to stay true to democratic values and the rule of law,” Mr Williams informed legal practitioners.
“The vital importance of the rule of law as a platform for national development; in fact for the very functioning of our societies and a shared issue for Australia and Fiji, and for democracies everywhere.
“Now I know that term, the rule of law, is so commonly used that it’s in need of greater definition and that this in itself has been the subject of debate by great legal minds over the years.
“Those broad principles of
Lord Bingham on what properly constitute the rule of law…. none of which will be new to you, but collectively I believe still quite powerful.”
Mr Williams said those who have devoted their professional lives, in any capacity, to the service of the law need to understand the implication for Lord Bingham, of this fundamental bargain, is that – you are not “mere custodians of a body of arid prescriptive rules, but you are the guardians of an all but sacred flame, which animates and enlightens the society in which we live.
“This sounds, ladies and gentlemen, like a heavy burden, but in practice I think we can all agree it presents a cogent pathway for democracies everywhere to stable governance, strong institutions, and a prosperous and functioning society.”