(PINA/IFEX) – On 2 June 1998, Fiji’s biggest newspaper, “The Fiji Times”, led its front page with a report of a 12-minute meeting of the Senate, and the cost of this brief meeting. It did so as the Senate was preparing to consider the Senate Privileges Committee’s finding that “The Fiji Times” had earlier breached […]
(PINA/IFEX) – On 2 June 1998, Fiji’s biggest newspaper, “The Fiji Times”,
led its front page with a report of a 12-minute meeting of the Senate, and
the cost of this brief meeting. It did so as the Senate was preparing to
consider the Senate Privileges Committee’s finding that “The Fiji Times” had
earlier breached parliamentary privilege with a similar report and editorial
comment. These had questioned the cost to taxpayers of another brief sitting
of the Senate on 30 September 1997, and the example set by
senators.
**Updates IFEX alerts dated 6 October 1997, 8 October 1997, 6 April 1998, 9
April 1998, 28 May 1998.**
The Senate Privileges Committee had warned that in the case of any future
articles breaching parliamentary privilege, the Senate “will not hesitate to
impose sanctions that will have severe repercussions.” Under Fiji’s
Parliamentary Privileges Act, the Privileges Committee could recommend that
the Senate jail those found to have breached parliamentary privilege for up
to two years.
Background Information
“The Fiji Times” has faced a number of actions against its reporting by both
the elected House of Representatives and the appointed Senate. On 8 April
1998, “The Fiji Times” announced that its lawyers were beginning a legal
challenge against the finding by the Senate Privileges Committee, which is
made up of senators. Publisher Alan Robinson said: “In essence, we reported
the facts. And just how an editorial opinion can misrepresent proceedings of
the Senate really needs to be explained. As far as I am
aware there is no law against fair comment. There is a vital principle at
stake here. The media has to be free to comment on the proceedings of
Parliament without fear or favour. The Senate finding seeks to restrict that
freedom.”
“The Fiji Times” is a previous winner of the PINA Pacific Freedom of
Information award for its defence of the public’s right to know.
