Fiji
Common law
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Fiji is a common-law country with a written Constitution and a legal system inherited from Britain. Most land is held under customary ownership by Fijian clans and cannot simply be sold.
Updated October 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
Where the law comes from
- The Constitution, the highest law
- Acts of Parliament, and English common law and equity
- Customary law, especially for land held by indigenous Fijians (iTaukei)
- Decisions of the Fijian courts
The main courts
- The Supreme Court, the final court of appeal
- The Court of Appeal
- The High Court, and Magistrates' Courts
Becoming a lawyer
A law degree, a period of practical training, and admission to practise by the Chief Justice.
What may surprise you
- Most land is customary land, owned by clans and leased, not sold.
- The country's constitutional history has seen several changes of constitution.
- English is one of three official languages, with Fijian and Fiji Hindi.
Related systems
How this country is classified
The University of Ottawa’s JuriGlobe database lists Fiji as: Common law. It names the systems in order of importance.
The map colours a country by the first-named system, and shows both civil-law and common-law countries as “mixed”. It is a simplification, and real systems are rarely pure.
Other countries in the same family
Sources
- PacLII: Pacific Islands Legal Information Institute
- JuriGlobe: world legal systems (University of Ottawa)
- Constitute Project: constitution of Fiji
Sources last reviewed: October 2026.
TheLawToKnow Tools’s Legal Families Atlas is an educational overview. It simplifies on purpose, and it is not legal advice. For a real legal question about Fiji, consult a lawyer qualified there. Report a mistake.
