LONDON – Caribbean Community (CARICOM) attorneys general and law ministers will join their counterparts from the wider Commonwealth for the three  day meeting of Commonwealth Law Ministers that gets underway in Fiji on February 9.

The London-based Commonwealth Secretariat said that from the meeting takes place at a time when “the rule of law is steadily declining  around the world.

“Over the three days, law ministers will discuss how strong legal safeguards protect everyday life, from people’s ability to participate in democracy and earn a fair living, to their right to live in safe and healthy communities.”

The statement said that the ministers are also expected to agree on practical measures to advance the rule of law by improving access to justice and strengthening legal institutions that support stable societies, fair economies and environmental protection.

“The rule of law remains essential to peace, stability, and development, yet it is under serious pressure in many parts of the world. Where it is weakened or unevenly applied, the impact is felt most sharply by ordinary people. For the Commonwealth, the rule of law is a cornerstone of our Charter and our work. It demands practical, thoughtful commitment and cooperation, not rhetoric,” said Commonwealth Secretary-Genera, Shirley Botchwey.

“In Fiji, our ministers will come together to strengthen the rule of law as the foundation of a resilient future, where every person has a voice in democracy, every worker is treated with dignity, and every vulnerable community is protected from a changing climate.

“That is what our people count on us to do. By working together, we can uphold the rule of law as an essential protection for the people of the Commonwealth,”  she added.

The meeting will be held under them the theme ‘Anchoring Justice in a Changing Tide: Strengthening the Rule of Law for a Resilient Future’.

The meeting will also include five side events that will bring together youth leaders, people with lived experience of the justice system and disability rights advocates to ensure their perspectives inform ministerial discussions..

The statement said that the meeting’s outcomes are expected to help shape the agenda for the upcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM)  to be held in Antigua and Barbuda later this year. (CMC)