Women subjected to domestic violence seeking restraining orders are given immediate assistance and all the requirements are waived.

Legal Aid Commission Acting Director Shahin Ali highlighted this during Fiji’s 3rd Universal Periodic Review, at the 34th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva.

Ali says the empowerment and legal representation of women is their key priority.

He adds through their various roadshows and awareness programs, they have been able to reach out to women who have been neglected in the past.

“Our statistics show that approximately sixty-percent of the applicant in domestics violence cases are women, 43 percent of women have accessed our advisory services, whilst 36 percent of women have applied for assistance since 2016.”

Ali says with the establishment of specialized units, they have been able to better deal with sensitive cases involving children.

“This includes the child as an offender, or they may be caught up in custody battles between parents and family law matters. Juvenile representation is another area where legal aid commission is prioritizing assistance and for this purpose, we waive all eligibility requirements for juvenile offenders.”

He adds all efforts are made to keep them out of the prison systems.