DPP and team of Police Officials attend training in England

Director of the Public Prosecution Christopher Pryde, his Assistant, Mosese Korovou, Deputy Police Commissioner Isikeli Ligairi and a team of police officers attended a training at the Police Training College in Suffolk, England to introduce mandatory video recording of police interviews in order to ensure transparent and professional police investigations.

This was highlighted by the Fiji's Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva Ambassador Nazhat Shameem Khan at the Fiji Day reception held at the Mission in Geneva.

Khans says Chief Justice of Fiji, Justice Anthony Gates is leading these important reforms and ensuring their effectiveness in the criminal justice system of Fiji.

Khan says we ratified United Nations Convention against Torture in March this year and immediately set out to take steps to implement reforms in accordance with our obligations under UNCAT.

She says one such area of reform is police procedure in relation to suspects in custody.

Khans says working closely with the Association for the Prevention of Torture, the UNDP in Fiji and the British High Commission in Fiji, lawyers from the private and public practice in Fiji visited Geneva and attended meetings with the Human Rights Commission of the Geneva Bar Association to introduce a project in Fiji which hopes to ensure that every suspect in custody will see a lawyer before interview.

She says they welcome Fiji team to Geneva and acknowledge the crucial role of leadership in forging a human rights culture in Fiji.