The Solicitor-General of Fiji is the Chief Executive Officer of the Attorney-General's Chambers, and as such assists the Attorney-General in advising the government on legal matters, and in performing legal work for the government. The previous Solicitor-General was Christopher Pryde, who took office in July 2007 until he was appointed Director of Public Prosecutions in 2011. [1] The Office is currently vacant, although Deputy Solicitor-General Sharvada Sharma has been acting in the position to date.
Unlike the Attorney-General, who holds political office as a member of the House of Representatives or Senate, the Solicitor-General is a civil servant. He is required by the Constitution to hold a law degree and to be a registered lawyer.
The following persons have held the office of Solicitor-General since it was established in 1945.
No. | Solicitor-General | Tenure |
---|---|---|
1. | Alistair Granville Forbes | 1945–1948 |
2. | Brian Andre Doyle | 1948–1951 |
3. | Philip N. Dalton | 1951–1953 |
4. | William Gordon Bryce | 1953–1956 |
5. | Ashley Martin Greenwood | 1956 |
6. | Henry Roger Justin Lewis | 1956–1963 |
7. | Donald McLoughlin | 1963–1971 |
8. | Harold Picton-Smith | 1971–1979 |
9. | Qoriniasi Babitu Bale | 1979–1984 |
10. | John Richard Flower | 1984–1987 |
11. | Filimone Jitoko | 1987–1993 |
12. | Isikeli Mataitoga | 1993–1997 |
13. | Nainendra Nand | 1997–2006 |
14. | Christopher Pryde | 2007 – 2011 [2] |
15. | Sharvada Nand Sharma (acting) | 2011 — ? |
15. | Ropate Green Lomavatu | 2023 — present [3] |
Politics of Kiribati takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic republic, whereby the Beretitenti, President of Kiribati, is both the head of state and head of government, and of a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government, Beretitenti, and his cabinet, all MPs. Legislative power is exercised by the House of Assembly. The Judiciary of Kiribati is independent of the executive and the legislature. The Constitution of Kiribati, promulgated at independence on 12 July 1979, establishes the Republic of Kiribati as a sovereign democratic republic and guarantees the fundamental rights of its citizens and residents.
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In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general or attorney-general is the main legal advisor to the government. The plural is attorneys general. In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have executive responsibility for law enforcement, prosecutions or even responsibility for legal affairs generally. In practice, the extent to which the attorney general personally provides legal advice to the government varies between jurisdictions, and even between individual office-holders within the same jurisdiction, often depending on the level and nature of the office-holder's prior legal experience.
A solicitor is a legal practitioner who traditionally deals with most of the legal matters in some jurisdictions. A person must have legally-defined qualifications, which vary from one jurisdiction to another, to be described as a solicitor and enabled to practise there as such. For example, in England and Wales a solicitor is admitted to practise under the provisions of the Solicitors Act 1974. With some exceptions, practising solicitors must possess a practising certificate. There are many more solicitors than barristers in England; they undertake the general aspects of giving legal advice and conducting legal proceedings.
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