LAWS OF FIJI

CONSTITUTIONAL DOCUMENTS

ROYAL STYLE AND TITLES

Elizabeth R.

BY THE QUEEN 
A PROCLAMATION

WHEREAS on the Tenth day of October in the year One Thousand Nine Hundred and Seventy Fiji became an Independent Member of Our Commonwealth:

We have thought fit and We do hereby, at the request of the Prime Minister of Fiji, appoint and declare, that so far as conveniently may be on all occasions and in all instruments wherein Our Style and Titles are used in relation to Fiji, Our Style and Titles shall henceforth be accepted, taken and used as the same are set forth in the manner and form following:

"Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, Queen of Fiji and of Her other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth."

Given at Our Court at Buckingham Palace this First day of November in the year One Thousand Nine Hundred and Seventy and in the Nineteenth Year of Our Reign.

GOD SAVE THE QUEEN
____________

(NOTE−The following instruments, namely –
Deed of Cession of the Islands of Fiji (English version only)
Cession of Rotuma (English version only)
Letters Patent relating to the Annexation of Rotumah
Proclamation annexing Rotumah,
are set out hereunder as matters of historical interest only and do not form part of this Chapter.

DEED OF CESSION

INSTRUMENT OF CESSION of the Islands of Fiji by Thakombau, styled Tui Viti and Vuni Valu, and by the other high Chiefs of the said islands to Her Most Gracious Majesty Victoria, by the grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland Queen, Defender of the Faith, &c &c &c:

WHEREAS divers of the subjects of Her Majesty the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland have from time to time settled in the Fijian group of islands and have acquired property or certain pecuniary interests therein; AND WHEREAS the Fijian Chief Thakombau styled Tui Viti and Vuni Valu and the other high native chiefs of the said islands are desirous of securing the promotion of civilization and Christianity and of increasing trade and industry within the said islands; AND WHEREAS it is obviously desirable, in the interests as well of the native as of the white population, that order and good government should be established therein; AND WHEREAS the said Tui Viti and other high chiefs have conjointly and severally requested Her Majesty the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland aforesaid to undertake the government of the said islands henceforth; AND WHEREAS in order to the establishment of British government within the said islands and said Tui Viti and other the several high chiefs thereof for themselves and their respective tribes have agreed to cede the possession of and the dominion and sovereignty over the whole of the said islands and over the inhabitants thereof and have requested Her said Majesty to accept such cession - which cession the said Tui Viti and other high chiefs, relying upon the justice and generosity of Her said Majesty, have determined to tender unconditionally - and which cession on the part of the said Tui Viti and other high chiefs is witnessed by their execution of these presents and by the formal surrender of the said territory to Her said Majesty; AND WHEREAS His Excellency Sir Hercules George Robert Robinson, Knight Commander of the most distinguished order of Saint Michael and Saint George, Governor Commander in Chief and Vice Admiral of the British Colony of New South Wales and its dependencies, and Governor of Norfolk Island, hath been authorised and deputed by Her said Majesty to accept on Her behalf the said Cession:-

NOW THESE PRESENTS WITNESS,

1. THAT the possession of and full sovereignty and dominion over the whole of the group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean known as the Fijis (and lying between the parallels of latitude of fifteen degrees South and twenty two degrees South of the Equator and between the Meridians of longitude of one hundred and seventy seven degrees West and one hundred and seventy five degrees East of the Meridian of Greenwich) and over the inhabitants thereof, together with the possession of and sovereignty over the waters adjacent thereto and of and over all ports harbours havens roadsteads rivers estuaries and other waters and all reefs and foreshores within or adjacent thereto, are hereby ceded to and accepted on behalf of Her said Majesty the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland Her heirs and successors, to the intent that from this time forth the said islands and the waters reefs and other places as aforesaid lying within or adjacent thereto may be annexed to and be a possession and dependency of the British Crown.

2. THAT the form or constitution of government, the means of the maintenance thereof, and the laws and regulations to be administered within the said islands shall be such as Her Majesty shall prescribe and determine.

3. THAT, pending the making by Her Majesty as aforesaid of some more permanent provision for the government of the said islands His Excellency Sir Hercules George Robert Robinson, in pursuance of the powers in him vested and with the consent and at the request of the said Tui Viti and other high chiefs the ceding parties hereto, shall establish such temporary or provisional government as to him may seem meet.

4. THAT the absolute proprietorship of all lands not shown to be now alienated so as to have become bona fide the property of Europeans or other foreigners or not now in the actual use or occupation of some chief or tribe or not actually required for the probable future support and maintenance of some chief or tribe shall be and is hereby declared to be vested in Her Majesty her heirs and successors.

5. THAT Her Majesty shall have power, whenever it shall be deemed necessary for public purposes, to take any lands upon payment to the proprietor of a reasonable sum by way of compensation for the deprivation thereof.

6. THAT all now existing public buidings houses and offices, all enclosures and other pieces or parcels of land now set apart or being used for public purposes, and all stores fittings and other articles now being used in connection with such purposes are hereby assigned transferred and made over to Her said Majesty.

7. THAT on behalf of Her Majesty His Excellency Sir Hercules George Robert Robinson promises (1) that the rights and interests of the said Tui Viti and other high chiefs the ceding parties hereto shall be recognised so far as is and shall be consistent with British Sovereignty and Colonial form of government, (2) that all questions of financial liabilities and engagements shall be carefully scrutinized and dealt with upon principles of justice and sound public policy, (3) that all claims to title to land by whomsoever preferred and all claims to pensions or allowances whether on the part of the said Tui Viti and other high chiefs or of persons now holding office under them or any of them shall in due course be fully investigated and equitably adjusted.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the whole of the contents of this instrument of Cession having been, previously to the execution of the same, interpreted and explained to the ceding parties hereto by David Tui Viti and the other high chiefs and accepted as such interpreter by the said Wilkinson Esquire, the interpreter nominated by the said Sir Hercules George Robert Robinson, the respective parties hereto have hereunto set their hands and seals.

DONE at LEVUKA this tenth day of October, in the year of Our Lord one thousand eight hundred and seventy four.

CAKOBAU R. TUI VITI & VUNIVALU
MAAFU
TUI CAKAU
RATU EPELI
HERCULES ROBINSON
VAKAWALITABUA TUI BUA
SAVENACA
ESEKELE
B. V. TUI DREKETI
RITOVA
KATO-NIVERE
RATU KINI
MATANITOBUA
NACAGILEVU	(Seal)
(Seal)
(Seal)
(Seal)
(Seal)
(Seal)
(Seal)
(Seal)
(Seal)
(Seal)
(Seal)
(Seal)
(Seal)
(Seal)	

D. WILKINSON,
Chief Interpreter

The interpreter named in the foregoing instrument of Cession.

CESSION OF ROTUMA

November, 1879

We, the chiefs of Rotuma, with the knowledge and assent of our respective tribes, and in accordance with their desire, do, on our own behalf and that of our respective tribes, hereby cede and surrender absolutely, unreservedly and unconditionally to Her Majesty the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, Empress of India, the possession of and full sovereignty over the whole Island of Rotuma, and over the inhabitants thereof, and of and over all ports, harbours, roadsteads, streams and waters, and all foreshores and all islets and reefs adjacent thereto: praying that Her Majesty will be pleased to extend to us such laws as now govern her Native subjects in the Colony of Fiji, or such other laws as in Her Majesty's wisdom she may see fit to make and appoint for our Government and for the maintenance of peace and good order.

I hereby certify that the above is a true and correct translation of the Fijian language into English.

D. WILKINSON

MAROFF	X	
ALBERT	X	
MANHAFF	X	
VASEA	X	
TAVO	X	
OSIAS	X	
AISEA	X	

Witness to the signatures of Maroff, Albert and Manhaff
JOHN B. THURSTON,
JOSEPH LALA,
JAMES COCKS,

Witness to the signatures of Vasea, Tavo, Osias and Aisea.
ARTHUR GORDON
TIMOCI MUDU

_____________

ANNEXATION OF ROTUMAH ISLAND

LETTERS PATENT passed under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, for Declaring the Island of Rotumah and its Dependencies part of the Queen's Dominions, and for the Annexation thereof to the Colony of Fiji.

VICTORIA, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland Queen, Defender of the Faith, Empress of India: To all to whom these Presents shall come, Greeting.

WHEREAS the Chiefs of the Island of Rotumah, in the Western Pacific Ocean, have prayed Us that We would rule their island and receive them as Our subjects: And whereas We are minded to accede to the prayer of the said Chiefs, and to accept the said Island and its Dependencies as part of Our Dominions, and to provide for the good government of the inhabitants thereof, and for that purpose to provide that the said Island and its Dependencies shall be annexed to and form part of Our Colony of Fiji: Now therefore We do hereby authorise Our Governor for the time being of Our Colony of Fiji, by Proclamation under his hand and the Public Seal of Our said Colony, to declare that the Island of Rotumah and it Dependencies that is to say, all islands, rocks, reefs, and fisheries lying between the 12° and 15° of south latitude and between the 175° and 180° of east longitude from the meridian of Greenwich shall thenceforth form part of Our Dominions.

II. And we do hereby further authorise Our Governor for the time being of Our said Colony of Fiji, by the same or any other Proclamation under his hand and the Public Seal of Our said Colony, to declare that, from and after a day to be therein named, the said Island of Rotumah and its Dependencies, as above described, shall be annexed to and form part of Our said Colony of Fiji; and we do hereby declare that, on and after the day so to be named, the said Island of Rotumah and its said Dependencies shall form part of Our said Colony of Fiji, and shall be subject to the laws from time to time in force therein.

III. And We do hereby appoint and declare that, on and after such day, all such powers of government and legislation as are from time to time vested in Our Governor or other the person for the time being administering the government of Our Colony of Fiji, and in the Legislative Council thereof, shall apply and extend to the said Island of Rotumah and its said Dependencies had at all times formed part of Our said Colony.

IV. And We do hereby reserve to Ourselves, Our heirs and successors, full power and authority from time to time to revoke, alter, or amend these Our Letters Patent, as to Us or them shall seem meet.

V. And we do direct and enjoin that these our Letters Patent shall be read and proclaimed in the said Island of Rotumah, and in such place or places within Our Colony of Fiji as Our said Governor shall think fit.

It witness whereof We have caused these Our Letters to be made Patent. Witness Ourself at Westminister, the Seventeenth day of December, in the Forty-fourth year of Our reign.

By Warrant under the Queen's Sign Manual.

PALMER

___________

PROCLAMATION

VICTORIA, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Queen, Defender of the Faith, to all and singular to whom these presents may come, Greeting:

ARTHUR GORDON

WHEREAS the Chiefs and People of the Island of Rotumah in the South Pacific Ocean have ceded to Her Majesty the Queen, her heirs and successors the said Island and the Dependencies thereof:

And whereas her Majesty has been graciously pleased to accept the same, and to direct that the said Island shall form and constitute a part of the Colony of Fiji:

Now know ye that I, the Honourable SIR ARTHUR HAMILTON GORDON, Knight Grand Cross of the Most Honourable Order of St. Michael and St. George, Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the said Colony, do hereby proclaim that the said Island is and from this day henceforth shall be taken to be a part of the said Colony.

Whereof let all men take notice and govern themselves accordingly.

Given under the hand of the Governor and the Seal of the Colony this fifth day of November in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and eighty.

By Command,

JOHN B. THURSTON,
Colonial Secretary.