The Acting Chief Justice Anthony Gates raised the question while opening the 10th Attorney General's Conference in Sigatoka today on whether Fiji should continue to succumb to requests by overseas groups to assess whether our judiciary is independent.

Justice Gates said unlike court proceedings where everything is based on evidence and facts, these visiting groups mainly follow a procedure of undisclosed material, rumor, gossip and perceptions.

He said one wants to be open-minded and frank, but he questions how many more inquiries should be submitted before the groups become oppressive and could be described as patronizing.