Wellington, April 15 NZPA - New Zealand lawyers have been advised by the Law Society not to accept work for the Fiji regime.

"The New Zealand Law Society is extremely concerned at the breakdown of the rule of law in Fiji and believes New Zealand lawyers should not accept appointment to any office under the regime," society president John Marshall QC said today.

Judges in Fiji were sacked because the governing regime disagreed with a Court of Appeal decision last week that the military-backed regime was unlawful.

The president of the Fiji Law Society, Dorsami Naidu, was detained yesterday after urging judges to remain true to the 1997 Constitution. He was released late this morning.

Mr Marshall said he shared the Fiji Law Society's view that the dismissal of Fiji's judges was unlawful.

"This is a matter of great concern because the existence of an independent judiciary in any country is vital for the maintenance of the rule of law.

"Similarly, an independent legal profession has a hugely important role to play in the situation that now exists in Fiji.

"Lawyers there, led by the Fiji Law Society, will need to be courageous, will need to resist intimidation and, as best they can, ensure that people's rights and freedoms are upheld.

"They will need to work towards a return to the rule of law as soon as possible," he said.

Judicial and government legal positions in Fiji have often been filled by New Zealand lawyers, but Mr Marshall said he didn't think they should accept office with a regime that had been found to be unlawful.

Mr Naidu, in an interview with TVNZ at the weekend, also hoped that New Zealand lawyers would not assist the regime.

The Commonwealth Lawyers Association has called for the reinstatement of the judiciary and the dissolution of the current regime, while the Law Association for Asia and the Pacific urged the President of Fiji to appoint an independent caretaker prime minister to take the country to democratic elections as soon as possible.

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