August 13, 2019
New Delhi, India
Justice Madan B Lokur, former judge of India’s Supreme Court, has been sworn in as a justice of the Fiji Supreme Court by President Jioji Konousi Konrote.
Justice Lokur, who is a member of the India Executive Committee of the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI), was administered the oath of office yesterday (August 12th) by the Fijian President and now has a three-year term. The Court is headed by Chief Justice Kamal Kumar.
In a statement, CHRI said it was honoured by Justice’s Lokur’s appointment: “It highlights the international respect with which he is held as a path breaker in human rights jurisprudence,” said CHRI’s International Director Sanjoy Hazarika. “We congratulate Justice Lokur whose presence on our India EC is highly valued.”
Justice Lokur, one of India’s most respected judicial figures is known for his far-reaching verdicts on human rights, especially with regard to children, women and victims of State and extra-judicial violence. He retired from the Indian Supreme Court last December.
Referring to his new assignment, Justice Lokur said that “Procedures here are different but the substantive law is not radically different -- the principles of law are more or less the same in every common law jurisdiction. So adjustment will not be a problem”. He will be sitting in a Bench of three judges and has to attend two sessions every year of two weeks duration each.
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For further details, contact: Sanjoy Hazarika, International Director,