Commander’s advice unlawful-Lawyer
Those are the words of Laisenia Qarase's lawyer Brad Walker as the Qarase verse Bainimarama appeal continues today.
Walker highlighted that the usurper himself, being the Commander, provided such advice to the President, which was illegal and criminal.
Walker then went on to question the reasons as to why the current regime is called an interim asking where is the end point, as no elections have taken place as required under the 1997 Constitution.
He said the Commander continued to say that he continues to uphold the Constitution and has not abrogated it, is nonsense and the court must give some relief to ratify the current situation.
Walker stressed to the judges that the Court must not look at problems which may arise if declarations are made but stick to the law and what it says.
He suggested that if it was decided that the acts were illegal, then there has to be a matter of trust that the decisions would be accepted by the Commander and it is a risk that the Constitutional Court must take.
Walker said the Court cannot be deterred from exercising its discretion to grant relief by considering what may happen.
He said if the Commander is then chosen again as the Interim PM, then it would be lawful but he would find some other emergencies to delay the election process and it is for the court to stop this.
State lawyer Gerard McCoy then made submissions which said that the issues at hand is determining the existence of the prerogative powers of the President and stressed that there is no possibility for a court to give an undertaking as relief, to compel the President to do something.
McCoy said that the Constitution itself does not compel the President to take any advice, then neither can the Courts.
He said the reality in Fiji is that the Boundaries Commission is still undertaking its work and due to the financial constraints, elections could not possibly be held in the current circumstance.
However, he said that a point may come when elections may be held unless there is a continuing crisis.
The case continues this hour.
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