1997 Constitution of Fiji: Chapter 1
Chapters
1: The State
2: Compact
3: Citizenship
4: Bill of Rights
5: Social Justice
6: The Parliament
7: Executive Government
8: Great Council of Chiefs
9: Judiciary
10: State Services
11: Accountability
12: Revenue and Expenditure
13: Group Rights
14: Emergency Powers
15: Amendment of Constitution
16: Commencement, Interpretation and Repeals
17: Schedule Oaths and Affirmations
Chapter 1: The State. The first chapter of the 1997 Constitution of Fiji is titled The State. It is divided into five sections, which summarize briefly how the nation of Fiji sees itself.
Section 1 states that "The Republic of the Fiji Islands is a sovereign, democratic state." This underscoring of Fiji's commitment to democracy comes against the backdrop of political instability that has sometimes plagued Fiji, resulting in two coups d'état prior to the adoption of the constitution, and a third and fourth since.
Sections 2 and 3 deal with the place of the Constitution. The Constitution is declared to be "the supreme law of the State," and laws inconsistent with it are prohibited. In interpreting the Constitution, individual clauses are to be interpreted in the context of the Constitution as a whole, as well as the context in which the constitution was drafted. Any interpretation is required to consider any developments that may have taken place, subsequent to the adoption of the Constitution, in the understanding and promotion of particular human rights.
...
Wikipedia