‘47pc face legal issues’
EVERY year about 100,000 Fijians encounter at least one legal problem.
This, according to a report that was launched yesterday at the Holiday Inn Suva titled Justice Needs and Satisfaction in Fiji.
The report revealed that 47 per cent of the adult population in Fiji have experienced one or more legal problems during the past four years.
It also focused on two distinct categories of legal problems –– domestic violence and land disputes which occur frequently in Fiji and require accessible and effective justice remedies.
It also stated that men encounter more legal problems than women, and women experienced more problems than men –– and this was related to domestic violence.
A brief presentation by Martin Gramatikov, a team leader from The Hague Institute for Innovation of Law, showed that people from rural areas and particularly those from remote areas had less access to justice.
This was because of lack of knowledge and lack of legal awareness. The urban dwellers were more likely to recognise the legal implications of their problems and also to use the law as a means of resolution.
Meanwhile, officer in charge United Nations Development Programme
(UNDP) Pacific office in Fiji Nasantuya Chuluun said the report provided a clear understanding of a range of issues and most importantly it included an understanding of people’s justice needs.
A total of $18m was invested by the Eurpean Union (EU) for the implementation of this project. The report was funded by the EU and was implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).