Acting Chief Justice Kamal Kumar has sentenced New Zealand based lawyer, Rajendra Chaudhry to 15 months imprisonment and also fined $50,000 plus $3,000 in costs, after he was found guilty of  contempt of court.

He says that the prison sentence will start when Chaudhry is arrested and a bench warrant has also been issued.

Acting Chief Justice Kumar has ordered that Chaudhry pay costs of $3,000 to the Attorney General’s Office within 28 days.

Chaudhry had made Facebook posts last year that were defamatory against the Fijian Judicial System which included the Chief Justice, the Chief Registrar and the Fijian Democracy.

Acting Chief Justice Kumar says the post was unwarranted and scandalous.

He says the sentence is to deter future offenders.

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