Nikhil Aiyush Kumar 
Veronica Malani at the Suva High Court
The Supreme Court case involving Veronica Malani has been adjourned after her newly appointed lawyer sought more time to review court documents.
The matter was called this morning before Chief Justice Salesi Temo.
Senior lawyer Sevuloni Valenitabua informed the court that he has taken over as counsel for Malani.
Valenitabua requested for additional time while informing the court that he only received the documents this morning and is also engaged in matters related to the Constitutional Review process.
Chief Justice Temo granted the request, and the matter has been adjourned to October 14.
The case stems from an earlier ruling by former Chief Justice Kamal Kumar, who dismissed Malani’s application for leave to appeal a prior decision that rejected her bid for judicial review.
Malani had sought to challenge the Director of Public Prosecutions’ decision not to prosecute former Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum over his alleged involvement in the 1987 bombing incidents.
In his ruling, Justice Kumar had said that Malani’s grounds of appeal were framed in general terms and failed to identify any legal or factual errors in his earlier decision.
He had also described her arguments as “absurd and nonsensical.”
The application was struck out, with the court ordering each party to bear its own costs.
An earlier order requiring Malani to pay $5,000 in costs to the Director of Public Prosecutions was also part of the proceedings she sought to appeal.
