New military court proposed for Fiji

The Fiji Times reports here about a Constitution Review Commission proposal that would create a military court that would be equivalent to the High Court and make other important changes in Fiji's military justice system.

Significantly, cases before the proposed Military Court would be heard by sitting High Court judges assigned on an ad hoc basis, rather than judges operating within the military command structure.

The Commission said this was intended to maintain the court’s independence from the military and ensure that constitutional protections under the Bill of Rights also apply to military personnel facing prosecution.

It has also recommended that Military Court hearings be open to the public under the same standards applying to civilian courts.