Short title and commencement

1.        – (1) This Act may be cited as the Human Rights Commission Act 1999.

(2) The Minister may appoint a different date for the commencement of different provisions.

Interpretation

2.        In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires –

“Bill of Rights” means the Bill of Rights contained in Chapter 4 of the Constitution;

“Commission “ means the Human Rights Commission which was established by  Section 42(1) of the Constitution which was the additional functions conferred by this Act;

“Commissioner” means any member of the Human Rights Commission, except that in Part II it does not include the Chairperson’

“Constitution” means the Constitution Amendment Act 1997;

“department” means a department in the public service;

“employment” includes –

(a)     the employing of an independent contractor;

(b)     the relationship between a person for whom work is done by a contract worker pursuant to a contract and the person who supplies that worker;

(c)     employment in the public service, including the Fiji Police Force, the Fiji Prisons Service and the Republic of the Fiji Military Forces;

(d)     unpaid work;

“functions of the Commission” means the functions conferred on the Commission by Section 42(2) of the Constitution, by or under this Act, or by or under any other written law.

“human rights” means the rights embodied in the United Nations Covenants and Convention on Human Rights and includes the rights and freedoms set out in the Bill of Rights;

“Minister” means the Minister responsible for human rights matters;

“Proceedings Commissioner” means the person designated as such under Section 11;

“prohibited ground of discrimination” means a ground set out in Section 38(2) of the Constitution.

Act to bind State

3.        This Act binds the State.

Application of Act