Taniela (Daniel) Vafo'ou Fatiaki CF (born 1954)[1][2] was the Chief Justice of Fiji from 1 August 2002, when he succeeded Sir Timoci Tuivaga, till 5 December 2008.
Fatiaki was born in Upu village in the district of Motusa, on the island of Rotuma, which enjoys a considerable degree of internal autonomy from Fiji.
Then Opposition leader Prem Singh objected on the grounds that in the midst of the Fiji coup of 2000, Fatiaki had joined Tuivaga and Justice Michael Scott in advising the then President, Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara, to abrogate the constitution, in accordance with the wishes of the Military.
Akuila Yabaki of the Citizens Constitutional Forum, a human rights group, said that Fatiaki's participation in such anticonstitutional actions should disqualify him from holding the office of Chief Justice, and suggested that as the judiciary had been thoroughly compromised politically, it would be best for the time being to appoint a Chief Justice from outside of Fiji (the constitution allows members of the judiciary, unlike other government officials, to be non-citizens, and it is not unusual for retired judges from other Commonwealth countries to be appointed to the bench).
Fatiaki condemned as a "disgrace" the appointment of Anthony Gates as Acting Chief Justice on 16 January, saying it was unconstitutional and compromised the integrity and independence of the judiciary.
He condemned this as a disgrace and a betrayal of trust,[7] and said, contrary to assertions from Shameem and interim Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, that his leave of absence was forced, not voluntary.
It is understood that Khan asked Justice Fatiaki to voluntarily vacate the chambers, and later escorted him to a police vehicle reportedly to drop him at his Suva residence.
[9] Interim Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum later accused him of having tried to illegally remove from his office documents that are subject to an investigation[10] into his alleged role in the 2000 coup,[11] claims that Fatiaki angrily denied.
On 19 January 2007, it was revealed that President Ratu Josefa Iloilo had signed a decree formally suspending Fatiaki, pending an inquiry into allegations that he had been involved in the 2000 coup, to the extent of drafting decrees and giving legal advice to coup frontman George Speight.
[13] Fiji Law Society President Devanesh Sharma condemned Fatiaki's suspension and threatened legal action.
[18][19] In an address to the convention of the Fiji Law Society at Warwick Hotel on the Coral Coast on 2 July 2005, Fatiaki called on the legal profession to uphold standards of integrity.