Chiefs do not have legal authority to exile villagers

There is confirmation today that chiefs do not have the legal authority to exile someone from a village.

After the Cakaudrove Provincial Council had recently agreed to exile those found cultivating marijuana, the Deputy Chief Executive Officer for the Itaukei Affairs Board, Apakuki Kurusiga said the Cakaudrove Provincial Council only has the authority under the vanua to exile people.

He said they do not have any legal authority or power to do this.

According to Kurusiga, the Cakaudrove Provincial Council had discussed in it’s meeting earlier this month that those who are not from the village and are cultivating marijuana, will be exiled from the village.

This decision by the Cakaudrove Provincial Council was made after 3,500 marijuana plants were uprooted by Police from farms in  Cakaudrove late last year.

Earlier this year a few villagers from Levuka in the Wailevu District and Viani village in the Navatu District were told to leave their villages.

Fijivillage is also pursuing the issue regarding chiefs and villagers to report any cultivation of marijuana to the Police and to ensure that the legal process takes it’s course.

Kurusiga said they are recommending villagers to use this option and let the Police deal with the case.