An appeal by the state against the awarding of $9,000 compensation to a mother and her four year old child for wrongful detention has been dismissed by the High Court.

In his ruling Judge Justice Thomas Hickie told the court that Magistrate Vani Rokoika who awarded the payout for humiliation and injury and for aggravated damages, did not err in law.

He ruled that the Magistrate also did not make a mistake when she awarded damages amounting to $3,000 to the mother and $6000 to the child of the plaintiff for her unlawful detention.

The woman who is an Assistant Court Officer based at the Lautoka Magistrates court was awarded the special damages on 7th March this year, after she filed legal proceedings against the state and the Fiji Police Force for her arrest and subsequent delay in her detention at the Lautoka Police station on September 2003 for 26 hours without charge until she was released.

She was arrested from the Natabua Grounds on 27th September 2003 with her four year old daughter where they were attending the Public Service Week Celebrations. She was arrested in relation to a break-in at the Court registry.

Her four year old daughter was with her after arrest at 3pm till 9pm when she was dropped off at a relative's house.

She also claimed that the investigating officer forced her to admit that her boyfriend broke into the court registry and she was aware of the break-in. In her written submission she told the court that her house was searched by police officers without a search warrant and that nothing was found. She further claimed that a police constable named, Nikola on his way out grabbed her cheese loaf which was on the table.

According to her the constable did not ask for it, thus stealing the cheese loaf.

Judge Justice has also ordered the state to pay court costs.