Siromi Turaga continues to be the AG despite PM announcement that Filimoni Vosarogo was to become AG from yesterday

Siromi Turaga continues to be the Attorney General of Fiji despite the official announcement by the Prime Minister, Sitiveni Rabuka that Filimoni Vosarogo was to become the Attorney General from yesterday.

fijivillage News has received confirmation that Turaga remains in the Attorney General’s Office today while Vosarogo is continuing as the Minister for Lands.

We have also been informed that legal advice has been sought from various sources regarding Vosarogo’s appointment as the Attorney General.

On Monday night, Rabuka had told fijivillage News that he will go ahead with the reallocation of portfolios in the Coalition Cabinet but now that we have the Fiji Law Society’s official views, he will also wait for them to take the matter to court as they have stated in their letter of concern.

He made this clear when asked on his stand on appointing Vosarogo as the new Attorney General from Tuesday after the call by the Fiji Law Society to withdraw Vosarogo's AG appointment.

Rabuka has also told us that he had received an assurance from Vosarogo before the first Cabinet lineup was made in December last year, so he made that decision last week.

The Fiji Law Society has written to Prime Minister Rabuka expressing its concern regarding the appointment.

Society President, Wylie Clarke says they have informed the Prime Minister that it cannot support, and must record its strong objection to Vosarogo’s appointment.

The Society advised the Prime Minister that Vosarogo is disqualified from holding the office of Attorney General under section 96(2)(b) of the 2013 Constitution.

Section 96 of the constitution states that the Minister appointed as the Attorney General is the chief legal adviser to the Government.

It further says a person is not qualified to be appointed as the Attorney General unless he or she— (a) is admitted as a legal practitioner in Fiji and has had not less than 15 years post-admission practice as a legal practitioner whether in Fiji or abroad; and (b) has not been found guilty of any disciplinary proceeding involving legal practitioners whether in Fiji or abroad, including any proceeding by the Independent Legal Services Commission or any proceeding under the law governing legal practitioners, barristers and solicitors prior to the establishment of the Independent Legal Services Commission.