Joni Madraiwiwi

For the early colonial administrator, see Joni Madraiwiwi I.

The Honourable
Ratu Joni Madraiwiwi
Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Nauru
In office
8 September 2014[1] – 29 September 2016 (died in service)
Preceded byGeoffrey Eames
Succeeded byFilimone Jitoko
Vice-President of the Republic of Fiji
In office
14 December 2004 – 15 January 2007
PresidentRatu Josefa Iloilo
Preceded byJope Seniloli
Succeeded byEpeli Nailatikau (2009)
Judge of the High Court of Fiji of the Republic of Fiji
In office
2 February 1997 – 22 June 2000
Permanent Arbitrator, Office of the Attorney-General of Fiji
In office
5 April 1991 – 31 January 1997
Solicitor, Office of the Attorney-General of Fiji
In office
1983–1991
Personal details
Born10 November 1957
Died19 September 2016(2016-09-19) (aged 58)
Suva, Fiji
SpouseAdi Lusi Tuivanuavou
Alma materUniversity of Adelaide
McGill University
ProfessionLawyer

Ratu Joni Madraiwiwi, Lord Madraiwiwi Tangatatonga (10 November 1957 – 29 September 2016) was a prominent Fijian lawyer, legal scholar, jurist, and politician. He served as vice-president, and also acting president, of Fiji, and Chief Justice of Nauru.

Ratu Madraiwiwi was ceremonially sworn in as vice-president on 10 January 2005, following his nomination by President Ratu Josefa Iloilo, and his subsequent approval by the Great Council of Chiefs on 14 December 2004.[2] He served as vice-president beginning 14 December 2004 to complete the unexpired term of his predecessor, Ratu Jope Seniloli, who had resigned in disgrace on 29 November 2004 in the wake of his convictions for treason concerning his role in the Fiji coup of 2000. Madraiwiwi's first priority was to restore dignity and respect to the vice-presidency.[3] However, on 5 December 2006, Madraiwiwi was informed of pending abolition of the vice-presidency, to take effect officially on 15 January 2007, by the Military Commander, Commodore Frank Bainimarama, who had seized power in a military coup. He was forcibly evicted from his official residence and his office on the night of 6 December.[3] Yet, Madraiwiwi announced in the second week of January 2007 that he was merely "on leave" as Vice-President of Fiji and intended in the meantime to resume private practice as an attorney at Howards law firm.[4]

In 2010, Madraiwiwi was presented with a Tongan life peerage and the title of Lord Madraiwiwi Tangatatonga by King George Tupou V of Tonga. Owing to his Fijian and Nauruan nationalities, he was nominated as early as 2013, and subsequently appointed in 2014, to the Supreme Court of the Republic of Nauru as its Chief Justice, the highest position in that country's judicial system, which he held until his death on 29 September 2016.[5][3]

A lifelong legal scholar, Madraiwiwi was a prolific writer and public speaker who authored several articles and books, including A Personal Perspective, his last book.[6]

  1. ^ "Nauru mourns passing of Chief Justice". Government of Nauru Office of Media and Public Information. 30 September 2016. Archived from the original on 2 October 2016. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
  2. ^ "MADRAIWIWI APPOINTED FIJI VICE PRESIDENT | Pacific Islands Report".
  3. ^ a b c Fraenkel, Jon (4 December 2016). "Ratu Joni Madraiwiwi". Journal of Pacific History. 51 (4): 447–450. doi:10.1080/00223344.2016.1260085. S2CID 164604381.
  4. ^ "Return of executive authority failed to legitimise regime: Naidu - Fiji Times Online". Archived from the original on 17 January 2007. Retrieved 24 January 2007.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference RNZDeath was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ ""Ratu Joni Madraiwiwi: A national treasure set aside" (6 Oct. 2016)". 7 October 2016.