Justice Robert Shenton French AC has joined Fiji’s Supreme Court as a visiting judge, welcomed during a ceremony at State House where he took the Affirmation of Allegiance and the Oath of Affirmation before President Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu.
Former Chief Justice of Australia, Justice French led the High Court of Australia from 2008 to 2017 after more than two decades on the Federal Court. In his new role, he will serve as a visiting judge on Fiji’s Supreme Court while continuing other international engagements, including positions with the Singapore International Commercial Court and the Dubai International Financial Centre’s Court of Appeal. He also maintains academic affiliations with several leading Australian universities and serves on international governance and science advisory bodies. His appointment meets Fiji’s constitutional requirements for judicial officers.
Justice French’s career spans more than four decades in Australian law, with a notable record in both national and international jurisprudence. In addition to his responsibilities in Fiji, he has held roles such as President of the National Native Title Tribunal and Deputy President of the Australian Competition Tribunal, and he has previously been a non-resident member of Fiji’s Supreme Court from 2003 to 2008, giving him prior familiarity with Fiji’s legal landscape. He is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Western Australia Law School, a Distinguished Honorary Professor at the Australian National University, an Adjunct Professor at Monash University Law School, and a Professorial Fellow at Melbourne University. A graduate of the University of Western Australia, he earned degrees in physics and law, and in 2010 he was appointed a Companion in the General Division of the Order of Australia for eminent service to the judiciary and law.
This appointment forms part of a broader wave of high-calibre international jurists contributing to Fiji’s judiciary in recent years. Earlier in 2024, Justice Lee James Burney and Justice Gus Andree Wiltens were sworn in as a Puisne Judge of the High Court and a Justice of Appeal in the Court of Appeal, respectively, underscoring Fiji’s ongoing effort to deepen its judicial capacity through cross-border expertise. The bench has also welcomed Paul Heath as a Justice of Appeal of the Court of Appeal of Fiji, further expanding its international perspective.
What this means for Fiji is a strengthened Supreme Court bench with access to expansive international jurisprudence, potentially richer deliberations on complex commercial and constitutional matters, and increased opportunities for cross-border legal collaboration and training. The trend of international jurists joining Fiji’s judiciary is expected to bolster legal education, mentoring of local judges, and broader exposure for Fiji’s law students and practitioners.
In summary, Justice Robert Shenton French AC’s installation as a visiting judge of Fiji’s Supreme Court marks a significant enhancement to the country’s judicial capacity, aligning Fiji with global standards and reinforcing its commitment to robust, internationally informed adjudication.
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