The Minister for Women, Children, and Poverty Alleviation, Lynda Tabuya, is advocating for the reinstatement of the death penalty for drug traffickers caught with significant quantities of drugs. In a media statement, Tabuya highlighted that Fiji has become a transit hub for drug trafficking to other markets and emphasized the urgent need for stricter laws to safeguard the nation’s borders and its people.
Tabuya voiced her alarm over the increasing accessibility of drugs in the community, pointing out that both adults and children are becoming consumers. She argued that implementing the death penalty could serve as a deterrent to those engaged in the drug trade, which she believes poses a greater risk to society than any potential economic advantages that come from drug sales.
The Minister underscored that more severe measures are essential to discourage drug traffickers and cartels from operating within Fiji. She proposed that harsher penalties, including capital punishment, may help diminish the drug trade and its negative impact on the nation.
Fiji abolished the death penalty for ordinary crimes in 1979 and for all crimes in 2015, with the last execution taking place in 1964. In 2015, the FijiFirst Government had endorsed a series of recommendations aimed at ratifying the UN Convention Against Torture, with a commitment to upholding human rights. Fiji’s Constitution, established in 2013, enshrined fundamental human rights principles and included a comprehensive Bill of Rights. Additionally, in recent years, legislation to eliminate the death penalty from military laws was approved by Parliament.