Consumer Council of Fiji Chief Executive Seema Shandil. [Photo: FILE]

The Consumer Council of Fiji welcomes the landmark judgment delivered by the High Court in Suva yesterday, which dismissed a long-running lawsuit brought by Hansons Supermarket regarding the condemnation and destruction of unfit meat products.

The judgment sets a strong precedent, affirming the protections provided to the Council under the Consumer Council of Fiji Act.

The case, which named the Consumer Council of Fiji as a defendant alongside the Nasinu Town Council and the Fiji Sun, stemmed from a 2019 inspection where a large quantity of meat and frozen goods was found unfit for human consumption.

The plaintiff alleged that the Council acted negligently and sought damages for reputational loss following the publication of the findings.

Chief Executive Seema Shandil says the High Court, in its ruling, clarified that the Council, as a statutory body, does not owe a common law duty of care to businesses when carrying out its functions. Its legal and moral obligation is to protect the health and interests of the Fijian public.

Furthermore, the judgment reinforces protections under Section 12 of the Consumer Council Act, which shields the Council from liability for actions taken in good faith while performing its duties.

“This is a victory for every Fijian consumer. For too long, some traders have used the threat of legal action to silence advocacy and hide unethical practices. This judgment sets a strong precedent: the Council will not be intimidated from doing its job. Our priority is, and always will be, public safety over private profit.”

The supermarket has been ordered to pay $5,000 in costs to the Council. The ruling strengthens the Council’s ongoing mandate to “name and shame” traders who repeatedly breach food safety regulations.

The Council is urging all retailers to view this not as a defeat for the business community, but as a standard-setting moment for food safety and corporate accountability in Fiji.