From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Fiji

This article is part of the series: Politics and government of Fiji

Government Executive President Ratu Josefa Iloilo Vice-President (vacant) Interim Prime Minister Commodore Frank Bainimarama Cabinet Attorney-General Leader of the Opposition Legislative Parliament Senate House of Representatives Speaker Local government Municipal elections 2002 2005 Former institutions Queen of Fiji Governor Governor-General Chief Minister Executive Council Legislative Council Constitution Preamble 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Great Council of Chiefs Chairman, G.C.C. Ovini Bokini Political parties Electoral system Voting Constituencies Open Communal National Elections Parliamentary (2006, 2009) Presidential (2006) Foreign relations Diplomatic missions

Other countries · Atlas  Politics Portal view • talk • edit

Fiji's chief governmental legal officer is the Attorney General. According to the Constitution of Fiji, the Attorney-General is required to be a qualified lawyer and sits in the Cabinet. The office of the Attorney-General is the oldest surviving executive office in Fiji, having been established in the Kingdom of Viti in 1872. It continued throughout Fiji's years as a British crown colony (1874 - 1970) and subsequently as a Commonwealth realm (1970 - 1987) and republic (1987 - present), with minimal modifications.

The Attorney-General is the only Cabinet office, apart from that of the Prime Minister, specifically established by the Constitution. The Attorney-General must be a member of either the House of Representatives or the Senate. A unique feature of the office is that except for voting rights (which may be exercised only in the chamber of which the Attorney-General is officially a member), the Attorney-General has the authority to participate in the business of both chambers of Parliament. The office is normally held in personal union with that of the Minister for Justice, although they are distinct offices. Like other members of the Cabinet, the Attorney-General is appointed by the President on the advice of the Prime Minister.

The office of the Attorney-General is responsible for all legal needs of government departments, statutory bodies, and state-owned enterprises. The office has three offices in Suva, Lautoka, and Labasa respectively. Government legal work in the country's Central and Eastern Divisions is undertaken by the central office in Suva, headed by the Solicitor-General, while the Lautoka office (headed by the Principal Legal Officer) is responsible for the Western Division. The Northern Division is covered by the Labasa office.

Note that some Attorneys-General have held office in multiple consecutive administrations, particularly in the colonial era.

• Website of the Office of the Attorney General of Fiji