The Lautoka High Court has dismissed an appeal by Paula Malo Radrodro seeking $7 billion in damages from the State over an alleged COVID-19 cure, in a judgment delivered on March 24 by Justice Anare Tuilevuka. The judge upheld an earlier ruling that struck out Mr Radrodro’s claim as unsustainable and lacking any reasonable cause of action under the law.
Mr Radrodro had argued the Office of the Attorney‑General failed to help him secure a patent for what he described as a scientific discovery — a COVID‑19 cure based on his blood — and that the absence of official assistance led to global misappropriation of his idea and consequent massive financial losses. He also sought general damages for loss of economic opportunity. Justice Tuilevuka found those allegations did not meet the statutory definition of an “invention,” noting the lower court had correctly applied provisions of the Patents Act and the Master’s earlier finding that a person cannot “invent” their own blood.
The judge rejected Mr Radrodro’s separate application alleging judicial bias and seeking recusal, finding the request unfounded and warning that granting such an application on the basis advanced would encourage forum shopping and impose an unnecessary burden on other judicial officers. With the appeal dismissed, the court ordered Mr Radrodro to pay $500 in costs to the State.
The ruling ends the latest in a series of legal actions mounted by Mr Radrodro in the courts concerning his assertions about the blood‑based treatment. By upholding the strike‑out, the High Court has concluded the claim lacked the legal foundation required to pursue patent‑related or tortious relief against the State in respect of the alleged discovery.
Justice Tuilevuka’s decision underscores the court’s application of patent law thresholds to novel claims grounded in naturally occurring human bodily materials. While Mr Radrodro maintained his claims of misappropriation and economic loss, the court concluded those complaints could not be converted into a viable cause of action under the Patents Act as pleaded.
With costs awarded against him and the appeal dismissed, this judgment appears to foreclose the current legal route Mr Radrodro had pursued against the State and the Office of the Attorney‑General in relation to his asserted COVID‑19 cure.
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