Minister for Mineral Resources Filimoni Vosarogo says the government’s position is to retain existing constitutional immunity provisions in line with the Supreme Court’s opinion.
Speaking during public consultations on the Constitution Amendment Bill at Lawai Village Hall in Sigatoka, Vosarogo said the court had indicated that constitutional changes could proceed while preserving immunity.
He said maintaining those protections was linked to national stability.
“The reason why they say the immunity provisions need to be maintained is because national stability depends on it. You want to open up past indiscretions? So we’ve got a cut off date on the date in which past indiscretions has been provided immunity but further indiscretions will not be allowed immunity. That’s fine, that’s part and parcel of this discourse. But for government, there is always a symbiotic relationship between the executive and the judiciary. And this is what I mean. When the judiciary commands government or tells government what to do, government cannot go back and say, well, we’re not happy, we’re just going to go on with
our own.”
Vosarogo also recalled the unsuccessful attempt to amend the Constitution in Parliament in March 2025, saying the government fell one vote short of the required support.
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He said Cabinet subsequently sought the Supreme Court’s opinion on the constitutional amendment process.
His comments followed concerns raised during the consultation about retaining immunity provisions.