Honorific-Prefix: | The Honourable |
Alipate Qetaki | |
Office: | Judge of the Court of Appeal of Fiji |
Term Start: | 19 April 2023 |
Order1: | 27th |
Office1: | Attorney-General of Fiji |
Monarch1: | Elizabeth II |
Governor General1: | Ratu Sir Penaia Ganilau |
Term Start1: | May 1987 |
Term End1: | September 1987 |
Predecessor1: | Jai Ram Reddy |
Successor1: | Sailosi Kepa |
President2: | Ratu Josefa Iloilo |
Primeminister2: | Laisenia Qarase |
Term Start2: | 2000 |
Term End2: | 2001 |
Predecessor2: | Anand Singh |
Successor2: | Qoriniasi Bale |
Order3: | 6th |
Office3: | Chairman, Fiji Law Reform Commission |
President3: | Ratu Josefa Iloilo |
Primeminister3: | Laisenia Qarase Frank Bainimarama |
Term Start3: | 2003 |
Term End3: | 2008 |
Predecessor3: | Vacant since 1999 Last held by R. Matabalavu |
Alma Mater: | University of Edinburgh |
Profession: | Judge |
Alipate Qetaki is a Fijian jurist, civil servant, and former politician who currently serves as a judge of the Court of Appeal of Fiji. He previously served as Attorney General of Fiji in the government of Timoci Bavadra from May 1987 to September 1987,[1] and again as Attorney General and Minister for Justice in the interim Cabinet formed by Laisenia Qarase in the wake of the 2000 Fijian coup d'état.[2] He held office till an elected government took power in September 2001.
Qetaki was educated at Lelean Memorial and Queen Victoria Schools in Fiji and holds an LLM from the University of Edinburgh.
He served as executive chairman of both the Fiji Law Reform Commission (from 2003) and the Fiji Law Revision Commission.
In August 2008, Qetaki was appointed by the military regime of Frank Bainimarama to the post of General Manager of the Native Land Trust Board,[3] replacing Semi Tabakanalagi, who died in office.[4] He held this position till April 2015, when he was succeeded by Tevita Kuruvakadua.[5] He has also been a Director of Fiji Sugar Corporation since 26 November 2008.[6] From 2020 to 2023 he taught law at the University of Fiji.
In April 2023 he was appointed as a judge of the Court of Appeal of Fiji.[7] The appointment was opposed by the Fiji Law Society on the basis that he had previously been found guilty of professional misconduct as a lawyer and was thus ineligible to be appointed.[8] The question of Qetaki's eligibility for appointment was referred to the Supreme Court of Fiji in June 2024.[9] [10] On 28 June 2024 the Supreme Court ruled that he was eligible for appointment, as his misconduct had been minimal.[11]