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The Constitution of the Republic of the Fiji Islands dates from 1997. It is Fiji's third Constitution. It is Fiji's third Constitution. The first, adopted in 1970 upon independence, was abrogated following two military coups in 1987.
Fiji's third constitution was called the Constitution of the Republic of the Fiji Islands and was the supreme law of Fiji from its adoption in 1997 until 2009. It was also suspended for a period following the 2000 coup d'état.
The first chapter of the 1997 Constitution of Fiji is titled The State. [1] It is divided into five sections, which summarize briefly how the nation of Fiji sees itself. Section 1 states that "The Republic of the Fiji Islands is a sovereign, democratic state."
Clause 6 of this section goes so far as to declare, "To the extent that it is capable of doing so, this Chapter extends to things done or actions taken outside Fiji." This implies the stand that Fiji will take on behalf of human rights in international forums such as the United Nations.
All Fiji citizens, of whatever ethnic background, are guaranteed equality before the law. Their right to make their permanent homes in the Fiji Islands is also protected. Every Fiji citizen is guaranteed the right to form or join a political party, to participate in electoral campaigns, and to vote and hold political office.
Chapter 9 of the 1997 Constitution of Fiji is titled Judiciary. It is divided into twenty-two sections, setting out the composition and functions of the Judicial branch of the Fijian government. The three constitutional courts
Part 1 of Chapter 11 establishes a code of conduct that applies to all constitutional officers and government employees. It comprises just one section: Section 156. Political leaders and civil servants are forbidden to engage in activities that entail, or could be seen to entail, a conflict of interest between their private interests and public duties, or that would compromise "fair exercise ...
In 2006, Fiji experienced a coup. The Prime Minister of New Zealand Helen Clark argued that the coup should be resisted by citizens, pointing to the oath of allegiance: "You owe it to your oath of allegiance to the Fiji constitution to act to stop this act of mutiny," she said. [1]