Richard Naidu

Richard Naidu (born 28 June 1963) is an Indo-Fijian journalist, constitutional lawyer and opponent of the 2006 Fijian coup d'état. He is a former director of Transparency International Fiji.^[1]

Richard Naidu 2022

Naidu served as spokesperson for Prime Minister of Fiji Timoci Bavadra.^[2] During the 1987 Fijian coups d'état he was beaten by iTaukei militants^[3][4] and his home was burned by arsonists.^[5] He was later deported to New Zealand by the military regime.^[6] While in exile in New Zealand he studied for a law degree at the University of Auckland.^[6][7] After working as a lawyer in New Zealand, he returned to Fiji in 1995.^[7]

He was an opponent of the Qarase government's Reconciliation, Tolerance, and Unity Bill, calling it unconstitutional.^[8] During the 2005–2006 Fijian political crisis he argued that the elected government had the power to sack Republic of Fiji Military Forces Commander Frank Bainimarama,^[9] and that the President of Fiji must follow the advice of the elected government.^[10]

Naidu and the 2006 coup d'état

Naidu opposed the 2006 Fijian coup d'état as illegal and unconstitutional.^[11] He condemned the detention and beating of six pro-democracy activists by the military on Christmas eve at the Queen Elizabeth Barracks, and called on the Fiji Human Rights Commission to take a stand against such violations. Naidu also spoke out against the Fiji Human Rights Commission for supporting the coup, ridiculing a report written by the Commission's Director, Shaista Shameem, which endorsed the coup.^[12] On 16 January, Naidu dismissed the announcement that the Military had restored Ratu Josefa Iloilo to the Presidency, saying that it did not legitimize the State of Emergency or the interim government.^[13]

On 23 January Naidu gave an interview to Radio New Zealand in which he attacked President of Fiji Ratu Josefa Iloilo as a puppet of the Military and the "illegal" interim government.^[14] He was also quoted as accusing the interim government of making "illegal laws" ad hoc to circumvent court rulings it did not like.^[15] He was subsequently arrested by the military and taken to Queen Elizabeth Barracks for interrogation.^[16] He was released after intervention from military Attorney-General of Fiji Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum^[17][18] and Human Rights Commissioner and Fiji Women's Crisis Centre coordinator Shamima Ali.^[19]

Post-coup

Following the coup, Naidu represented opponents of the regime, such as Fiji Law Society vice-president Tupou Draunidalo and the Fiji Times.^[20][21] In May 2009 he was detained and his computer was searched on suspicion he was involved with an anti-military blog site.^[22][23] In June 2009 he withdrew from speaking at Fiji's Institute of Accountants Congress after threats from police.^[24] He later criticised the military regime for denying a permit for the Fiji law Society's annual general meeting.^[25]

In 2015 he briefly served on the Constitutional Offices Commission as the leader of the opposition's nominee,^{[26][circular reference]} resigning in November after claiming it was a rubber-stamp for the regime.^[27] He later criticised the government's proposed Parliamentary Powers and Privileges Bill and Code of Conduct Bill for undermining freedom of speech.^[28][29]

In November 2022 he was convicted of contempt of court after pointing out a spelling mistake in a judicial judgement in a Facebook post.^[30][31][32] The conviction was condemned by Amnesty International,^[33] the Commonwealth Lawyers Association,^[34] the New Zealand Law Society,^[35] the Law Council of Australia,^[36] and legal academics.^[37] In July 2023 the court set aside the conviction and dismissed the charge.^[38]