Fiji’s judiciary has been further strengthened with the swearing in of four new High Court Judges.
The new appointees are Justice Pita Bulamainaivalu (Puisne Judge), Justice Samuela Dina Qica (Acting Puisne Judge), Justice Chaitanya Lakshman (Acting Puisne Judge) and Madam Justice Senileba Levaci (Acting Puisne Judge)
They were sworn in by His Excellency, the President Ratu Wiliame Katonivere in the presence of the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Siromi Turaga, Acting Chief Justice Salesi Temo, Chief Registrar Tomasi Bainivalu, and Solicitor General Ropate Green at the State House yesterday.
Justice Bulamainaivalu was admitted to the Bar of the High Court of Fiji in 2000. He has been a Barrister & Solicitor in Fiji for more than 20 years.
Prior to this appointment, he was the Acting Executive Director People and Workforce Strategy (ED PWS), Human Resource Office at the University South of the Pacific (USP) where he managed the human resources needs for the university’s 14 campuses located in the 12 member nations.
Justice Qica graduated from the University of the South Pacific with Bachelor’s of Law in 1999.
Prior to attaining his B.A Law (LLB), he enlisted into the Republic of the Fiji Military Forces then attended Officer Cadet training and was posted to Territorial Forces thereafter.
He has worked at the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions from 2003-2011 and has held a substantive post as a Principal Legal Officer.
Prior to this appointment, he joined the judicial department, as a Resident Magistrate in 2011 where he served in the western division.
Justice Lakshman graduated from the University of the South Pacific with Bachelors of Law in 1997.
Prior to this appointment, he served as Senior Resident Magistrate and also served as Resident Magistrate from 2009 to February 2022, at the Family court in Suva, Nausori Magistrate court, Suva Magistrate Court, and Sigatoka Magistrate Court.
Justuce Levaci was appointed as Resident Magistrate on 10th November, 2014 till to date. She has served in Navua and Labasa/Nabouwalu Jurisdictions.
She graduated from the University of the South Pacific attaining Bachelors of Art majoring in Economics and Language/Literature and also graduated with Bachelors of Law (LLB) from the University of the South Pacific in 1997.
Following this, she graduated from the University of the South Pacific in 1998 with Post graduate in Legal Practice.
In 2013, she graduated from the Queensland University of Technology, Australia where she attained a Masters in Intellectual Property Law.
She was tasked to provide legal opinions to the Ministry of Commerce and legal submissions on contracts, legal implications on working papers, draft bill and other legislation currently under the ministry eg. Foreign Investment Act.
