{{Short description|Political and legal officer in Fiji}} {{Use Australian English|date=January 2023}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2023}} {{Infobox official post | post = Attorney-General | body = Fiji | native_name = {{nativename|fj|Loya Raraba kei Viti}}<br>{{nativename|hif|फिजी के महान्यायवादी}} | flag = | flagsize = | flagborder = | flagcaption = | insignia = [[File:Coat of arms of Fiji.svg|120px]] | insigniasize = | insigniacaption = Coat of arms of<br /> the Republic of Fiji | image = | imagesize = | alt = | incumbent = [[Casual vacancy|Vacant]] | incumbentsince = 1 June 2025 | type = | status = | department = | style = [[The Honourable]] | member_of = | reports_to = [[Prime Minister of Fiji]] | residence = | seat = | nominator = | appointer = [[President of Fiji]] | appointer_qualified = | termlength = | termlength_qualified = | constituting_instrument = | precursor = | formation = 1872 | first = [[Robert Wilson Hamilton]] | last = | abolished = | succession = | abbreviation = | unofficial_names = | deputy = | salary = | website = }} {{Politics of Fiji}} The '''Attorney-General''' is a political and legal officer in Fiji.<ref>{{cite web|title=Welcome to the website of the Office of the Attorney-General |url=http://www.ag.gov.fj/ |website=Office of the Attorney-General |publisher=© Copyright 2005-2008, Office of the Attorney-General |access-date=28 October 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151024221144/http://www.ag.gov.fj/ |archive-date=24 October 2015 }}</ref> The attorney-general is the chief law officer of the State, and has responsibility for supervising Fijian law and advising the government on legal matters. Like other members of the [[Cabinet of Fiji|Fijian Cabinet]], the attorney-general is appointed by the [[President of Fiji|president]] on the advice of the [[Prime Minister of Fiji|prime minister]].
According to the [[2013 Constitution of Fiji]], the attorney-general is required to be a registered legal practitioner in Fiji, with not less than fifteen years' post-admission legal practice, either in Fiji or internationally.<ref name="auto">{{cite web|title=Constitution of the Republic of Fiji|url=http://www.electionsfiji.gov.fj/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Constitution-of-the-Republic-of-Fiji-.pdf|website=electionsfiji.gov.fj|access-date=28 October 2015|pages=55|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923235116/http://www.electionsfiji.gov.fj/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Constitution-of-the-Republic-of-Fiji-.pdf|archive-date=23 September 2015}}</ref> The attorney-general is a member of the [[Cabinet of Fiji]],<ref name="auto"/> and is normally expected to be a [[Parliament of Fiji|Member of Parliament]]. The Prime Minister may, however, choose an attorney-general from outside Parliament after determining there is no suitably qualified Member of Parliament who supports the Government. An Attorney-General who is not a Member of Parliament may sit in Parliament, but may not vote.<ref name="auto"/>
The office of the attorney-general is the oldest surviving executive office in Fiji, having been established in the [[Kingdom of Fiji]] in 1872. It continued throughout Fiji's years as a [[United Kingdom|British]] [[crown colony]] (1874–1970) and subsequently as the [[Dominion of Fiji]] (1970–1987) and [[republic]] (1987–present), with minimal modifications.
The attorney-general was the only Cabinet office, apart from that of the prime minister, specifically established by the [[1997 Constitution of Fiji|1997 Constitution]], which required the attorney-general to be a member of either the [[House of Representatives of Fiji|House of Representatives]] or the [[Senate of Fiji|Senate]]. A unique feature of the office was that except for voting rights (which could be exercised only in the chamber of which the attorney-general was officially a member), the attorney-general had the authority to participate in the business of both chambers of [[Parliament of Fiji|Parliament]]. This feature became redundant upon the adoption of the [[2013 Constitution of Fiji|2013 Constitution]], which established a [[unicameral parliament]].
== Role of the Attorney-General's Office == The role of the attorney-general is defined as "providing essential legal expertise and support to the Government". More specific functions include "legislative drafting", "legal aid", "the prerogative of mercy" (advising the President), "liquor licensing" and "film censorship".<ref>[http://www.ag.gov.fj/ Office of the Attorney-General] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151024221144/http://www.ag.gov.fj/|date=October 24, 2015}} ([[Fiji]]), official website.</ref> Thus, 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 Division, Fiji|Central]] and [[Eastern Division, Fiji|Eastern]] [[Local government in Fiji|Divisions]] is undertaken by the central office in Suva, headed by the [[Solicitor-General of Fiji|Solicitor-General]], while the Lautoka office (headed by the [[Principal Legal Officer (Fiji)|Principal Legal Officer]]) is responsible for the [[Western Division, Fiji|Western Division]]. The [[Northern Division, Fiji|Northern Division]] is covered by the Labasa office.
== List of attorneys-general of Fiji == Note that some attorneys-general have held office in multiple consecutive administrations, particularly in the [[British Empire|colonial]] era.
=== Kingdom of Viti (1871–1874) === {| class="wikitable" ! width="25" | No. ! width="200" | Name ! width="150" | Term of office ! width="500" | Appointed by ([[Monarchy of Fiji|King]]): |- | 1 || [[Robert Wilson Hamilton]] || 1872 || rowspan=3| [[Seru Epenisa Cakobau]] |- | 2 || [[Charles Rossiter Forwood]] || 1872–1873 |- | 3 || [[Sydney Burt|Sydney Charles Burt]] || 1873–1874 |- |}
=== Crown colony (1874–1970) === {| class="wikitable" ! width="25" | No. ! width="200" | Name ! width="150" | Term of office ! width="500" |[[Governor of Fiji|Governor]] |- | 4 || [[James Herman De Ricci]] || 1875–1876 || [[Arthur Hamilton-Gordon, 1st Baron Stanmore|Sir Arthur Hamilton Gordon]] |- | 5 || [[Joseph Garrick|Joseph Hector Garrick]] || 1876–1882 || [[Arthur Hamilton-Gordon, 1st Baron Stanmore|Sir Arthur Hamilton Gordon]] |- | 6 || [[Fielding Clarke]] || 1882–1886 || rowspan=2| [[William Des Vœux|Sir William Des Vœux]] |- | 7 || [[Henry Spencer Berkeley]] || 1886–1889 |- | 8 || [[John Udal (judge)|John Symonds Udal]] || 1889–1899 || [[John Bates Thurston|Sir John Bates Thurston]] |- | 9 || [[Henry Pollock|Henry Edward Pollock]] || 1901–1903 || [[William Lamond Allardyce]] |- | 10 || [[Albert Ehrhardt]] || 1903–1914 || [[Henry Moore Jackson|Sir Henry Moore Jackson]] |- | 11 || [[Alfred Karney Young]] || 1914–1922 || [[Ernest Sweet-Escott|Sir Ernest Bickham Sweet-Escott]] |- | 12 || [[Kenneth James Muir MacKenzie]] || 1922–1927 || [[Cecil Hunter-Rodwell|Sir Cecil Hunter Rodwell]] |- | 13 || [[Percy McElwaine|Percy Alexander McElwaine]] || 1927–1931 || [[Eyre Hutson (politician)|Sir Eyre Hutson]] |- | 14 || [[Charles Gough Howell]] || 1931–1933 || rowspan=2| [[Arthur George Murchison Fletcher|Sir Arthur George Murchison Fletcher]] |- | 15 || [[Ransley Thacker|Ransley Samuel Thacker]] || 1933–1938 |- | 16 || [[Edward Enoch Jenkins]] || 1938–1945 || [[Arthur Richards, 1st Baron Milverton|Sir Arthur Frederick Richards]] |- | 17 || [[John Henry Vaughan]] || 1945–1949 || [[Alexander Grantham|Sir Alexander Grantham]] |- | 18 || [[Brian Andre Doyle]] || 1949–1956 || [[Brian Freeston|Sir Brian Freeston]] |- | 19 || [[Ashley Greenwood|Ashley Martin Greenwood]] || 1956–1963 || [[Ronald Garvey|Sir Ronald Herbert Garvey]] |- | 20 || [[Henry Roger Justin Lewis]] || 1963–1970 || [[Kenneth Maddocks|Sir Kenneth Phipson Maddocks]] |- |}
=== Dominion (1970–1987) === {| class="wikitable" ! rowspan="2" width="25" | No. ! rowspan="2" width="200" | Name ! rowspan="2" width="150" | Term of office ! colspan="2" width="500" | Served under: [1] |- ! width="250" | [[Governor-General of Fiji|Governor-General]] ! width="250" | [[Prime Minister of Fiji|Prime Minister]] |- | 21 || [[John Falvey|John Neil Falvey]] || 1970–1977 || rowspan=4| [[George Cakobau|Ratu Sir George Cakobau]] || rowspan=6| [[Kamisese Mara|Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara]] |- | 22 || [[Vijay R. Singh|Sir Vijay R. Singh]] || 1977–1979 |- | 23 || [[Andrew Deoki|Andrew Indar Narayan Deoki]] || 1979–1981 |- | rowspan=2| 24 || rowspan=2| [[Manikam Pillai]] || rowspan=2| 1981–1984 |- | rowspan=4| [[Penaia Ganilau|Ratu Sir Penaia Ganilau]] |- | 25 || [[Qoriniasi Bale|Qoriniasi Babitu Bale]] || 1984–1987 |- | 26 || [[Jai Ram Reddy]] || 1987 || [[Timoci Bavadra]] |- | 27 || [[Alipate Qetaki]] || 1987 || ''vacant'' |- |colspan=5| [1] ''The Attorney-General in this period was formally appointed by the [[Governor-General of Fiji|Governor-General]], but on the advice of the Prime Minister.'' |- |}
=== Republic (1987–present) === {| class="wikitable" ! rowspan="2" width="25" | No. ! rowspan="2" width="200" | Name ! rowspan="2" width="150" | Term of office ! colspan="2" width="500" | Served under: [1] |- ! width="250" | [[President of Fiji|President]] ! width="250" | [[Prime Minister of Fiji|Prime Minister]] |- | 28 || [[Sailosi Kepa]] || 1987–1992 || rowspan=3| [[Penaia Ganilau|Ratu Sir Penaia Ganilau]] || [[Kamisese Mara|Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara]] |- | 29 || [[Apaitia Seru]] || 1992 || rowspan=4| [[Major general]] (Rtd) [[Sitiveni Rabuka]] |- | rowspan=2| 30 || rowspan=2| [[Kelemedi Bulewa]] || rowspan=2| 1992–1996 |- | rowspan=4| [[Kamisese Mara|Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara]] |- | 31 || [[Etuate Tavai]] || 1996–1999 |- | rowspan=2| 32 || rowspan=2| [[Anand Singh (Fijian politician)|Anand K. Singh]] || rowspan=2| 1999–2000 || [[Mahendra Chaudhry]] |- | [[Tevita Momoedonu|Ratu Tevita Momoedonu]] |- | rowspan=3| (27) || rowspan=3| [[Alipate Qetaki]] || rowspan=3| 2000–2001 || rowspan=5| [[Josefa Iloilo|Ratu Josefa Iloilo]] || [[Laisenia Qarase]] |- | [[Tevita Momoedonu|Ratu Tevita Momoedonu]] |- | [[Laisenia Qarase]] |- | (25) || [[Qoriniasi Bale|Qoriniasi Babitu Bale]] || 2001–2006 || [[Laisenia Qarase]] |- | rowspan=2| 33 || rowspan=2| [[Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum]] || rowspan=2| 2007–2014 | rowspan=6| [[Rear admiral]] (Rtd) [[Frank Bainimarama]] |- | rowspan=3| [[Epeli Nailatikau|Ratu Epeli Nailatikau]] |- | 34 || [[Faiyaz Koya]] || 2014 |- | rowspan=3| (33) || rowspan=3| [[Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum]] || rowspan=3| 2014–2022 |- | [[Jioji Konrote]] |- | [[Wiliame Katonivere]] |- | 35 || [[Siromi Turaga]] || 2022–2024 || [[Wiliame Katonivere]] || [[Major general]] (Rtd) [[Sitiveni Rabuka]] |- | 36 || [[Graham Leung]] || 2024 –2025 || [[Wiliame Katonivere]] || [[Major general]] (Rtd) [[Sitiveni Rabuka]] |- | (35) || [[Siromi Turaga]] ||2025 – || [[Naiqama Lalabalavu]] || [[Major general]] (Rtd) [[Sitiveni Rabuka]] |- |colspan=5| [1] ''The Attorney-General in this period is formally appointed by the [[President of Fiji|President]], but on the advice of the Prime Minister.'' |- |}
== See also == * [[Cabinet of Fiji]]
== References == {{reflist|30em}}
== External links == *[https://web.archive.org/web/20151024221144/http://www.ag.gov.fj/ Website of the Office of the Attorney-General of Fiji]
{{Cabinet of Fiji}} {{Fiji topics}} {{Attorneys General of British overseas territories}}
[[Category:Cabinet of Fiji]] [[Category:Attorneys-general of Fiji| ]] [[Category:1872 establishments in Fiji]]