Fiji’s Nazhat Shameem is one of the two Deputy Prosecutors of the International Criminal Court (ICC) who have assumed leadership of the Office.
This is after ICC prosecutor Karim Khan took leave of absence following sexual misconduct allegations made against him.
Shameem is a former Fiji Director of Public Prosecutions, High Court judge, Permanent Representative to the UN, and President of the UN Human Rights Council.
She was the first female Director of Public Prosecutions in Fiji and the first female High Court Judge in Fiji.
She has however faced criticism in Fiji for her alleged role in advising the military council and interim regime after the 2006 coup.
After the then Chief Justice Daniel Fatiaki was forced on leave in January 2007, Shameem chaired a Judicial Services Committee meeting that wrote to the President recommending the appointment of Anthony Gates as Acting Chief Justice.
Fatiaki criticised Shameem saying she had unlawfully chaired the meeting, and written and identified herself as Chair of the JSC, which was a role reserved for the Chief Justice. He condemned this as a disgrace and betrayal of trust, and said, contrary to assertions from Shameem and interim AG Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum – his leave of absence was forced, not voluntary.
Interim Minister for Justice Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum told the Fiji Times then that the Commission met after he directed senior judge Justice Nazhat Shameem to convene the meeting.
Shameem’s chairing of the JSC and the recommendation of Gates as Acting Chief Justice was challenged as unconstitutional by the Fiji Law Society.
But before that hearing was completed the Fiji Court of Appeal in 2009 ruled that the 2006 coup was illegal and dismissed the Bainimarama interim government as unlawful.The then President Ratu Josefa Iloilo then abrogated the 1997 Constitution and fired all judges and judicial appointments.
