Anthony Gates
Australian judge
Anthony Harold Cumberland Thomas Gates was the chief justice of Fiji from 2008 to 2019.
Gates is best known for his decision in Chandrika Prasad v. Att-Gen of Fiji [2000] 2 FLR 89; Prasad v. Republic of Fiji & Another [2001] 1 LRC 665; [2001] NZAR 21 in which he held that the Constitution of Fiji had not been abrogated by the military intervention in 2000, and that the Constitution continued to be the law of the land. His decision was upheld by Fiji’s Court of Appeal, in February 2001. However, the decision which should have led to the restoration of the Parliament suspended by the coup of 2000 was not obeyed by the government at that time, the Government instead choosing to call for a vote in 2001.
Gates is also well known for his decisions that enforced civil rights for prison inmates (Noa Yasa & Anor v State HAM063A.05S [2005] paclii) and for the treason-related hearings of people alleged to have been involved in the political events in Fiji of 2000.
Early life
Gates was born in the United Kingdom and is a graduate of Cambridge University. He went to Sierra Leone as a volunteer teacher with VSO (Voluntary Service Overseas) as well as Sri Lanka where he taught English at Royal College Colombo, and to this day he retains a house in Sri Lanka. After qualifying as a barrister at Inner Temple London he practiced law in London.
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