Salesi Temo
Chief Justice of Fiji since 2024
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Salesi Temo is a Fijian jurist. In January 2023, he was appointed acting Chief Justice of Fiji.
Salesi Temo | |
|---|---|
| Chief Justice of Fiji | |
| Assumed office 24 December 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Kamal Kumar |
He was appointed Chief Justice of Fiji by President Naiqama Lalabalavu upon the advice of Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka on 24 December 2024.[1]
Temo worked as a magistrate, and played a prominent role in prosecutions following the 2000 Fijian coup d'état.[2][3][4] He continued in office after the 2006 Fijian coup d'état, and accepted reappointment following the military regime's abrogation of the 1997 Constitution of Fiji during the 2009 Fijian constitutional crisis.[5] In June 2009 he was appointed to the High Court of Fiji as an acting Puisne judge by the military regime.[6]
In September 2011, he criticised the New Zealand government for refusing to cooperate with Fiji's military regime or extradite people wanted for political offences by the dictatorship.[7]
On 30 January 2023, he was appointed acting chief justice following the suspension of Kamal Kumar for misbehaviour.[8][9]
Honours
In October 2020, he was awarded the 50th Anniversary of Independence Medal for his services to the judiciary.[10]
