Lawyer Gavin O’Driscoll is calling for the removal of the immunity clause in Fiji’s Constitution, warning it could allow future wrongdoing to go unpunished.
He says retaining the clause risks perpetuating a system where people expect protection from accountability.
Speaking during the public consultation on the proposed Constitution amendments, O’Driscoll says transparency and national progress require the clause to be removed.
He said retaining it could perpetuate a system in which people expect to receive immunity for their actions.
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O’Driscoll also opposes corporal punishment, arguing that discipline can be enforced through other means without physical punishment.
He says restrictions on access to mobile phones, tablets, computers and Wi-Fi could be used as alternatives.
O’Driscoll also stressed the need to protect iTaukei land rights, saying landowners must feel secure in their ownership.
He says the relevant constitutional provisions need close scrutiny, warning that any weakening of land rights could undermine that security.
O’Driscoll says ensuring iTaukei landowners feel secure is important to the country’s wider stability.