(PINA/IFEX) – On 3 July 1998, a High Court judge in Suva, Fiji, ruled in favour of the news and business magazine “The Review” in what is seen as an important decision for the Fiji news media. Judge Daniel Fatiaki dismissed an application by one of the country’s major retailing companies, Burns Philp (Fiji) Limited, […]
(PINA/IFEX) – On 3 July 1998, a High Court judge in Suva, Fiji, ruled in
favour of the news and business magazine “The Review” in what is seen as an
important decision for the Fiji news media. Judge Daniel Fatiaki dismissed
an application by one of the country’s major retailing companies, Burns
Philp (Fiji) Limited, for an injunction to stop “The Review” from publishing
details of the possible sale of the company.
Judge Fatiaki said such an injunction would be an “unwarranted curtailment”
of the constitutional right to freedom of expression. Burns Philp (Fiji)
Limited claimed details of the sale published in the June 1998 edition of
“The Review” were defamatory. It sought the injunction to stop anything more
being published. In the past such injunctions have been granted by Fiji
courts.
