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CBV0010 of 2003S \par (Fiji Court of Appeal No. ABU0031 & ABU0041 of 2001S) \par }\pard \ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid4876875 {\f0\insrsid10428146\charrsid4876875 \par }\pard \qc \li0\ri0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid4876875 {\f0\insrsid10428146\charrsid4876875 BETWEEN: \par }\pard \ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid4876875 {\f0\insrsid4876875\charrsid4876875 \par }\pard \qc \li0\ri0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid4876875 {\b\f0\insrsid10428146\charrsid4876875 SHARDA PRASAD \par }{\f0\insrsid10428146\charrsid4876875 Petitioner \par }\pard \ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid4876875 {\f0\insrsid4876875\charrsid4876875 \par }\pard \qc \li0\ri0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid4876875 {\f0\insrsid10428146\charrsid4876875 AND: \par }\pard \ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid4876875 {\f0\insrsid4876875\charrsid4876875 \par }\pard \qc \li0\ri0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid4876875 {\b\f0\insrsid10428146\charrsid4876875 REGISTRAR OF TITLES \par }{\f0\insrsid10428146\charrsid4876875 Respondent \par }\pard \ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid4876875 {\f0\insrsid10428146\charrsid4876875 \par Coram:}{\f0\insrsid4876875\charrsid4876875 }{\f0\insrsid10428146\charrsid4876875 The Hon Justice}{\f0\insrsid4876875 }{\f0\insrsid10428146\charrsid4876875 Keith Mason, Judge of Supreme Court \par The Hon Justice Mark Weinberg, Judge of Supreme Court \par The Hon Justice}{\f0\insrsid4876875 }{\f0\insrsid10428146\charrsid4876875 Kenneth Handley, Judge of Supreme Court \par \par Hearing:}{\f0\insrsid4876875\charrsid4876875 }{\f0\insrsid5463894\charrsid4876875 Wednesday, 6}{\f0\insrsid4876875 }{\f0\insrsid10428146\charrsid4876875 April 2005, Suva \par \par Counsel:}{\f0\insrsid4876875\charrsid4876875 Mr A.}{\f0\insrsid10428146\charrsid4876875 K. Singh for the Petitioner \par Mr J.}{\f0\insrsid4876875\charrsid4876875 J. Udit and Ms M.}{\f0\insrsid10428146\charrsid4876875 R.}{\f0\insrsid4876875\charrsid4876875 }{\f0\insrsid10428146\charrsid4876875 Vuniwaqa for the Respondent \par \par Date of}{\f0\insrsid4876875 }{\f0\insrsid10428146\charrsid4876875 Judgment}{\f0\insrsid4876875 : }{\f0\insrsid10428146\charrsid4876875 Friday 8 April}{\f0\insrsid4876875 }{\f0\insrsid10428146\charrsid4876875 2005, Suva \par \par }\pard \qc \li0\ri0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid4876875 {\b\f0\insrsid10428146\charrsid4876875 JUDGMENT OF THE COURT \par }\pard \ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid4876875 {\f0\insrsid10428146\charrsid4876875 \par }\pard \ql \fi-720\li720\ri0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin720\itap0\pararsid4876875 {\f0\insrsid10428146\charrsid4876875 [1]\tab }{\f0\insrsid11754191\charrsid4876875 The Court as presently constituted considered and rejected an application by the petitioner that the President not sit to hear the petition or the summons filed by the petitioner th at sought to vacate the hearing date and other orders. The recusal application had been made to the Court constituted by the three of us}{\f0\insrsid10428146\charrsid4876875 , together with }{\f0\insrsid11754191\charrsid4876875 the President}{ \f0\insrsid10428146\charrsid4876875 , all four}{\f0\insrsid4876875 }{\f0\insrsid10428146\charrsid4876875 Justices having }{\f0\insrsid11754191\charrsid4876875 been assigned to hear the proceedings. We reconstituted to consider so much of the application }{\f0\insrsid10428146\charrsid4876875 as}{\f0\insrsid11754191\charrsid4876875 was based on common law principles}{\f0\insrsid10428146\charrsid4876875 ,}{\f0\insrsid11754191\charrsid4876875 as distinct from}{\f0\insrsid4876875 }{ \f0\insrsid11754191\charrsid4876875 s129 of the Constitution. \par }\pard \ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid4876875 {\f0\insrsid11754191\charrsid4876875 \par }\pard \ql \fi-720\li720\ri0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin720\itap0\pararsid4876875 {\f0\insrsid10428146\charrsid4876875 [2]\tab }{\f0\insrsid11754191\charrsid4876875 There was no suggestion of }{ \f0\insrsid10428146\charrsid4876875 actual }{\f0\insrsid11754191\charrsid4876875 bias. Rather, the submission was that a member of the public might entertain a reasonable apprehension that}{\f0\insrsid10428146\charrsid4876875 the President}{ \f0\insrsid11754191\charrsid4876875 might not bring an impartial and unprejudiced mind to the resolution of the questions involved. \par }\pard \ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid4876875 {\f0\insrsid11754191\charrsid4876875 \par }{\f0\insrsid10428146\charrsid4876875 [3]\tab }{\f0\insrsid11754191\charrsid4876875 The background is set out in the main reasons of the Court. \par \par }\pard \ql \fi-720\li720\ri0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin720\itap0\pararsid4876875 {\f0\insrsid10428146\charrsid4876875 [4]\tab }{\f0\insrsid11754191\charrsid4876875 Two matters were relied upon. The first was that the }{ \f0\insrsid10428146\charrsid4876875 President}{\f0\insrsid11754191\charrsid4876875 , sitting as a }{\f0\insrsid10428146\charrsid4876875 Judge}{\f0\insrsid11754191\charrsid4876875 of the High Court, had on 25 November 2002 granted ex parte relief in the nature of Mareva orders protective of the respondent\rquote s rights to restitution under the orders of the Court of Appeal. At that stage, indeed to this day, the Court of Appeal \rquote s orders stood as final orders that were not controvertible before a single judge of the High Court. No process had even been lodged in the Supreme Court. Application was subsequently filed in the High Court to set aside or vary these interlocutory order s. The critical point is that they are not under challenge in the current proceedings, which relate solely to the orders of the Court of Appeal. No member of the public could conceivably think that the President might be deflected from his duty to decide the issues in the Supreme Court by reference to his passing involvement in the issuance of the Mareva orders. \par }\pard \ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid4876875 {\f0\insrsid11754191\charrsid4876875 \par }\pard \ql \fi-720\li720\ri0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin720\itap0\pararsid4876875 {\f0\insrsid10428146\charrsid4876875 [5]\tab }{\f0\insrsid11754191\charrsid4876875 The second matter relates to the fact that the President gave procedural directions }{\f0\insrsid10428146\charrsid4876875 on 10 }{\f0\insrsid11754191\charrsid4876875 February and }{\f0\insrsid5463894\charrsid4876875 16}{ \f0\insrsid10428146\charrsid4876875 }{\f0\insrsid11754191\charrsid4876875 March this year designed to bring the long delayed petition on for hearing at the April sittings. The}{\f0\insrsid10428146\charrsid4876875 petitioner was}{ \f0\insrsid5463894\charrsid4876875 unhappy with these directions}{\f0\insrsid11754191\charrsid4876875 and included a challenge to the President\rquote s direction}{\f0\insrsid10428146\charrsid4876875 of 16 March}{\f0\insrsid5463894\charrsid4876875 ,}{ \f0\insrsid11754191\charrsid4876875 for the filing of submissions within 14 days}{\f0\insrsid10428146\charrsid4876875 ,}{\f0\insrsid11754191\charrsid4876875 in }{\f0\insrsid10428146\charrsid4876875 his}{\f0\insrsid4876875 }{ \f0\insrsid11754191\charrsid4876875 Summons returnable }{\f0\insrsid10428146\charrsid4876875 on the hearing of }{\f0\insrsid11754191\charrsid4876875 the petition. Any disinterested person would understand the appropriateness of the President\rquote s conduct. His right to give interlocutory procedural directions and to sit }{\f0\insrsid10428146\charrsid4876875 o}{\f0\insrsid11754191\charrsid4876875 n the final hearing, even if a party wishes to }{\f0\insrsid10428146\charrsid4876875 challenge }{ \f0\insrsid11754191\charrsid4876875 tho}{\f0\insrsid10428146\charrsid4876875 se directions before the }{\f0\insrsid5463894\charrsid4876875 F}{\f0\insrsid10428146\charrsid4876875 ull }{\f0\insrsid5463894\charrsid4876875 C}{ \f0\insrsid10428146\charrsid4876875 ourt}{\f0\insrsid4226830\charrsid4876875 ,}{\f0\insrsid4876875 }{\f0\insrsid11754191\charrsid4876875 is}{\f0\insrsid4876875 }{\f0\insrsid11754191\charrsid4876875 recognised in ss 8 and 11(b) of the Supreme Court Act 1998. \par }{\f0\insrsid5463894\charrsid4876875 \par [6]\tab For these reasons we rejected the petitioners\rquote application that the President was disqualified from sitting }{\f0\insrsid9917084\charrsid4876875 to hear the summons and petition. \par }\pard \ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid4876875 {\f0\insrsid9917084\charrsid4876875 \par }\pard \qc \li0\ri0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid4876875 {\b\f0\insrsid11210687\charrsid4876875 Justice Keith Mason}{\b\f0\insrsid10428146\charrsid4876875 \par }{\b\f0\ul\insrsid11210687\charrsid4876875 Judge of Supreme Court \par }\pard \ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid4876875 {\b\f0\ul\insrsid11210687\charrsid4876875 \par }\pard \qc \li0\ri0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid4876875 {\b\f0\insrsid11210687\charrsid4876875 Justice Mark Weinberg \par }{\b\f0\ul\insrsid11210687\charrsid4876875 Judge of Supreme Court \par }\pard \ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid4876875 {\b\f0\ul\insrsid11210687\charrsid4876875 \par }\pard \qc \li0\ri0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid4876875 {\b\f0\insrsid11210687\charrsid4876875 Justice Kenneth Handley \par }{\b\f0\ul\insrsid11210687\charrsid4876875 Judge of Supreme Court \par }\pard \ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid4876875 {\f0\insrsid11210687\charrsid4876875 \par }{\b\f0\ul\insrsid11210687\charrsid4876875 Solicitors: \par }{\f0\insrsid11210687\charrsid4876875 \par }{\b\f0\insrsid11210687\charrsid4876875 A.K. Singh Law, Nausori for the Appellant \par Office of the Attorney General Chambers, Suva for the Respondent \par }}