Nauru mourns passing of Chief Justice
His Excellency President Baron Waqa
says the nation is deeply saddened by the passing of the Chief
Justice of Nauru Joni Madraiwiwi, who succumbed to a brief illness
at the CWM Hospital in Suva, Fiji yesterday (29 September).
His Honour was appointed Chief Justice of Nauru on September 8,
2014.
Mr Waqa said he was instrumental in the recent reforms of Nauru's
legal system, and "re-established integrity and honour to our
court".
Ratu Madraiwiwi completed undergraduate studies in law at the
University of Adelaide, Australia, and a master's degree in Law
from McGill University, Canada.
After working in the Attorney-General's Chambers in Suva between
1983 and 1991, he went on to serve as Fiji's Permanent Arbitrator
on the Sugar Industry Tribunal until 1997, when he was appointed as
a Judge of the High Court of Fiji. He resigned from the bench in
2000.
In December 2004 he was appointed Vice President of Fiji and
served in that role until December 2006.
On January 5, 2010 King George Tupou V conferred upon His Honour a
Life Peerage for service to the Crown and Kingdom of Tonga and was
bestowed the title Lord Madraiwiwi Tangatatonga. He was also
awarded the honour of a Grand Gross of the Royal Order of Queen
Salote.
His Honour was a grandson of Ratu Joni Madraiwiwi (1859-1920), a
Bauan chief, and a great-great grandson of Ratu Seru Epenisa
Cakobau (1815-1883), the Fijian chief who ceded Fiji to Great
Britain in 1874.
His Honour is survived by his wife Adi Lusi Tuivanuavou, three
sisters and a brother. He will be buried at his home island of Bau
in Fiji on Friday October 7, 2016.
President Waqa said Nauru and the Pacific community has lost a
great statesman.