New constitution must not be imposed, Leung warns

The Fiji Law Society says consultation on the proposed Constitution Amendment Bill has been rushed.

It warns that limited time for public scrutiny has undermined trust in the reform process.

FLS President Graham Leung told the Special Parliamentary Committee that the public was not given enough time to examine Bill 32 of 2026 and provide meaningful feedback.

Leung said a two-hour consultation in Suva and a two-hour consultation in Lautoka was hopelessly inadequate.

He acknowledged that the parliamentary calendar and the approaching general election had placed the Government under pressure.

However, he said starting the review process earlier could have avoided the current time constraints.

Leung said the limited consultation period had contributed to public distrust and raised questions about the legitimacy of the process.

He warned against imposing a constitution without properly considering the views of the people.

The Law Society says the legitimacy of constitutional reform depends not only on the provisions being proposed, but also on whether the public has a genuine opportunity to participate.

Leung said Fiji had experienced four constitutions and Bill 32 would introduce a fifth if enacted.

He said the people were suffering from coup fatigue and were tired of repeated changes to the country’s supreme law.

Rather than bringing the country together, Leung said the Constitution had become a source of division and discord.

He also questioned the cost of the country’s long-running political and constitutional instability, pointing to basic services that communities continue to need.

Leung said people were crying out for water supplies to reach their villages, health centres to stock essential medicines and roads to be repaired.

The FLS is calling for a formal constitutional review every ten years through an independent Constitution Review Commission. It says this would provide a structured way to assess the constitution while reducing pressure for irregular changes.

The Society says reform must protect constitutional supremacy, democratic accountability and national unity.

Leung urged the committee to listen to the public and learn from Fiji’s history, warning against repeating the mistake of imposing a constitution while ignoring legitimate public concerns.