The new Crimes Decree that will be implemented early next year will ensure consistent sentencing will be handed down by the courts.

These are the words of Attorney General and Justice Minister Aiyaz Sayed Khaiyum who said the Decree will now make Fiji compliant with the Rome Statute, CEDAW and the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

He said the Decree will include provisions related to corruption, rape where there would no longer have the old rule of collaboration in respect of rape, no longer also would the sexual history of a woman alleging rape be used in court and there would now be recognition of the condition of mental health of a woman standing trial for abortion or infanticide.

Sayed Khaiyum adds under the procurement of prostitution will be an offence under the law as currently the prostitute gets charged and locked up while the males who are paying for this service are not.

He adds this is all part of modernizing Fiji's criminal justice system.