An appeal by the Attorney General's chambers against the $20,000 it was ordered to pay Former Vice President of the Fiji Law Society Tupou Draunidalo has been upheld by the Fiji Court of Appeal this morning.

The AG's chamber was told to pay Draunidalo $20,000 by Judge Roger Coventry in indemnity costs after the case taken up against her for comments she had made against the Judiciary was withdrawn by the State.

However the Appeals Court Judges state that it was not appropriate for Judge Coventry to characterize the conduct of the Attorney General in determining to institute and then withdraw the proceedings.

The three judges stress one of the most demanding offices in the law is the Attorney General's and often decisions have to be made at speed and that the issue of costs should have been made on a party to party basis and not on indemnity basis.

The $20,000 is reduced to $12,500 to be paid to Draunidalo.

The case was instituted after Draunidalo had said in an interview with ABC news, in May 2007, that you have to appear to be independent and when you take up an appointment after soldiers have forced your Chief Justice to go on leave, there is just no appearance of independence.

She further said that the confidence of lawyers in the judicial system, let alone the public has been shattered.