THE contribution of academics in providing ideas to the people of Fiji about what could be in the constitution is important.
Constitution Commission chairman Prof Yash Ghai, while speaking at the opening of a panel discussion on the constitution on Tuesday night at the University of the South Pacific, highlighted how these contributions could help resolve the many problems Fiji faced.
He said while the commission received many narratives on peoples’ lives and livelihood issues, what they had not received were the broad frameworks within which state and society should operate, the relationship between society and State, and organised groups within society.
“What are things that are most appropriately dealt with within society, within families and what are the appropriate issues or mandate for the State,” he said.
“We think your contribution would be very important in providing good structures of the State, relationship of the State to civil society, the role of human rights relating to different communities not only between the State and citizens. There are a whole lot of issues that we need to address as a broad framework or frameworks for the kind of decision that are required to make.”