PARAGRAPHE V : LES SIMILITUDES RÉGIONALES EN MATIÈRE DU DROIT COUTUMIER
3) Les Iles Fidji
La Constitution des Iles Fidji a été adoptée en 1970, date de son indépendance. Elle a ensuite été amendée en 1990. Celle de 1990 a ensuite été abrogée par la Constitutional (Amendment) Act de 1997257.
L’article 16 de la Constitution de 1990 (qui était le même que celui de la Constitution de 1970) interdisait toute discrimination sur la base de la race, etc.…258 Cependant, une exception était faite
252 Corrin et Zorn, « Legislating », supra note 187, à la page 65.
253 Constitution of the Independent State of Papua New Guinea 1975, Schedule 2.1.1 (1) Constitution of Papua New
Guinea.
254Constitution of Papua New Guinea, supra note 253, Schedule 2.1.1 (2). 255Constitution of Papua New Guinea, supra note 253, Schedule 2.1.1 (3).
256Underlying Law Act, supra note 216, art. 16(1) : « A question as to the existence or content of rule of customary law
is a question of law and not a question of fact » supra note 208.
257 Constitution (Amendment) of Fiji Act 1997, en ligne : [http://www.paclii.org] (accessible le 8 septembre 2013)
Constitution of Fiji 1997.
258 Constitution of the Republic of Fiji 1990, art. 16 : « (1) (a) no law shall make any provisions that is discriminatory
quant à l’application du droit coutumier259. Cette « protection » accordée au droit coutumier étant considérée trop étendue260, la nouvelle Constitution de 1997 tentait de la limiter, mais permettait néanmoins la discrimination dans certains cas. En effet, l’article 38 de la Constitution de 1997 prévoit que :
(1) Every person has the rights to equality before the law. (2) A person must not be unfairly discriminated against, directly or indirectly, on the ground of his or her : (a) actual or supposed personal characteristics or circumstances, including race, ethnic origin, colour, place of origin, gender, sexual orientation, birth, primary language, economic status, age or disability ; or (b) opinions or beliefs, except to the extent that those opinions or beliefs involve harm to others or the diminuation of the rights or freedoms of others ; or on any other ground prohibited by this Constitution... (8) A law, or an administrative action taken under a law, may limit a right or freedom set out in this section for the purpose of : (a) providing for the application of the customs of Fijians or Rotumans or of the Banaban community …261.
La Constitution de 1997 a de nouveau été amendée en 2013262. Dans la nouvelle Constitution, aucune discrimination n’est justifiée par l’application de droit coutumier. Elle protège cependant les virtue of any written law or in the performance of functions of any public office or any public authority. (2) In this section, the expression ‘discriminatory’ means affording different treatment to different persons attribute wholly or mainly to their respective descriptions by race, place or origin, political opinions, colour, religion or creed, whereby persons of one such description are subjected disabilities or restrictions to which persons of annoter such description are not made subject or are accorded privileges or advantages which are not accorded to persons of another such description… »
Constitution of Fiji 1990.
259 En effet, l’alinéa 3 de cet article prévoit que : « Nothing contained in any law shall be held to be inconsistent with or in
contravention of subsection (1) (a) of this section to the extent that the law in question makes provision :… (d) for the application of customary law with respect to any matter in the case of persons who, under that law, are subject to that law » (Constitution of Fiji 1990, supra note 258).
260 Une Commission nationale (Reeves) considérait que la « protection » accordée au droit coutumier était trop vaste. Elle
a recommandé qu’il doit être précisé que les droits fondamentaux enchâssés dans la Constitution doivent avoir préséance sur le droit coutumier. Cependant, elle n’a pas dit que cet alinéa doit aussi s’étendre à l’égalité devant la loi ou à la liberté de discrimination. Ces recommandations ont été prises en compte dans la nouvelle Constitution de 1997.
261 En détail, l’article 38 de la Constitution (Amendment) Act 1997 énonce : « (1) Every person has the rights to equality
before the law. (2) A person must not be unfairly discriminated against, directly or indirectly, on the ground of his or her : (a) actual or supposed personal characteristics or circumstances, including race, ethnic origin, colour, place of origin, gender, sexual orientation, birth, primary language, economic status, age or disability ; or (b) opinions or beliefs, except to the extent that those opinions or beliefs involve harm to others or the diminuation of the rights or freedoms of others ; or on any other ground prohibited by this Constitution... (8) A law, or an administrative action taken under a law, may limit a right or freedom set out in this section for the purpose of : (a) providing for the application of the customs of Fijians or Rotumans or of the Banaban community : (i) to the holding, use or transmission of, or to the distribution of the produce of, land or fishing rights ; or (ii) to the entitlement of any person to any chiefly title or rank ; (b) imposing a restriction on the alienation of land or fishing rights held in accordance with Fijian or Rotuman custom or in accordance with Banaban custom ; or (c) permitting the temporary alienation of that land or those rights without the consent of owners. (9) To the extent permitted by subsection (10), a law, or an administrative action taken under a law, may limit a right or freedom set out in this section for the purpose of providing for the governance of Fijians or Rotumans or the Banaban community and of other persons living as members of a Fijian, Rotuman or Banaban community. (10) A limitation referred to in subsectin (9) is valid only if it : (a) accords to every person to whom it applies the right to equality before the law without discrimination other than on the ground of race or ethnic origin ; and (b) does not infringe a right or freedom set out in any other section of this chapter » (Constitution of Fiji 1997, supra note 257).
262 Constitution of the Republic of Fiji, 2013, en ligne, Pacific Islands Legal Information Institute (PacLII) :
[http://www.paclii.org/fj/Fiji-Constitution-English-2013.pdf] (accessible le 15 février 2015). La Constitution des Iles Fidji a été adoptée en 1970 lors de l’accession à son indépendance. Elle a ensuite été amendée à trois reprises, en 1990, 1997 et 2013 Constitution of Fiji 2013.
propriétaires terriens coutumiers et leurs terres contre toute forme d’aliénation263. Elle prévoit également des mesures remédiatrices (discriminations positives) en leur faveur264.