''Part IV-ARRANGEMENTS FOR PERSONS TO GIVE EVIDENCE OR ASSIST INVESTIGATIONS, Division 2 - Requests by foreign countries, 23. Requests for giving of evidence at hearings in foreign countries''
(1) Where-
(a) a proceedings relating to a criminal matter has commenced in a foreign country;
(b) the foreign country requests the attendance at a hearing in connection with the proceeding of a prisoner who is in Fiji (whether or not in custody);
(c) there are reasonable grounds to believe that the prisoner is capable of giving evidence relevant to the proceeding; and
(d) the Attorney-General is satisfied that-
(i) the prisoner has consented to giving evidence in the foreign country, and
(ii) the foreign country has given adequate (whether or not unqualified undertakings in respect of the matters referred to in subsection (3),
the Attorney-General may-
(A) where the prisoner is being held in custody, direct, in writing, that the prisoner be released from prison for the purpose of travelling to the foreign country to give evidence at the proceedings and, subject to the making or giving of any necessary directions or approvals in relation to the release of the prisoner, make arrangements for the travel of the prisoner to the foreign country in the custody of a police or prison officer appointed by the Attorney-General for the purpose; or
(B) in a case where the prisoner, having been released from custody on a parole or other order or licence to be at large, is not being held in custody, approve the travel of the prisoner to the foreign country to give evidence at the proceeding and obtain approvals, authorisation, permissions or variations to the parole or other order or licence to be at large as may be required and, subject to the obtaining of any necessary approvals, authorisation, permissions or variations of the parole or other order or licence to be at large, make arrangements for the travel of the prisoner to the foreign country in the custody of a police or prison officer appointed by the Attorney-General for the purpose.
(2) Where-
(a) a criminal proceedings has commenced in a foreign country;
(b) the foreign country requests the attendance at a hearing in connection with the proceedings of a person (not being a prisoner) who is in Fiji; and
(c) there are reasonable grounds to believe that the person is capable of giving evidence relevant to the proceedings; and
(d) the Attorney-General is satisfied that-
(i) the person has consented to giving evidence in the foreign country, and
(ii) the foreign country has given adequate (whether or not unqualified) undertakings in respect of the matters referred to in subsection (3),
the Attorney-General may make arrangements for the travel of the person to the foreign country.
(3) The matters in relation to which undertakings are to be given by a foreign country for the purpose of a request that a person give evidence in the foreign country are-
(a) that the person shall not-
(i) be detained, prosecuted or punished for any offence against the law of the foreign country that is alleged to have been committed, or that was committed, before the person's departure from Fiji;
(ii) be subjected to any civil suit in respect of any act or omission of the person that is alleged to have occurred, or that occurred, before the person's departure from Fiji, being a civil suit to which the person could not be subjected to if the person were not in the foreign country; or
(iii) be required to give evidence in any proceedings in the foreign country other than the proceedings to which the request relates, unless-
(A) the person has left the foreign country; or
(B) the person has had the opportunity of leaving the foreign country and has remained in that country otherwise than for the purpose of giving evidence in the proceedings to which the request relates;
(b) that any evidence given by the person in the proceedings to which the request relates is inadmissible or otherwise disqualified from use in the prosecution of the person for an offence against a law of the foreign country other than the offence of perjury in relation to the giving of that evidence;
(c) that the person shall be returned to Fiji in accordance with arrangements agreed by the Attorney-General;
(d) where the person is being held in custody in Fiji and the Attorney-General requests the foreign country to make arrangements for the keeping of the person in custody while the person is in the foreign country-
(i) the making of appropriate arrangements for that purpose;
(ii) that the person shall not be released from custody in the foreign country unless the Attorney-General notifies an appropriate authority of the foreign country that the person is entitled to be released from custody under Fiji law; and
(iii) if the person is released in the foreign country as mentioned in subparagraph (ii), that the person's accommodation and expenses pending the completion of the proceeding to which the request relates shall be paid for by the foreign country; and
(e) other matters as the Attorney-General thinks appropriate.
''Part VII-REQUESTS BY OR ON BEHALF OF A DEFENDANT 35. Requests by Attorney-General on behalf of a defendant''
(1) If a defendant in a proceedings (original proceedings) relating to a criminal matter thinks that it is necessary for the purposes of the proceedings that requests be made for-
(a) evidence to be taken in a foreign country;
(b) a document or other article in a foreign country to be produced;
(c) a thing located in a foreign country to be seized; or
(d) arrangements to be made for a person who is in a foreign country to come to Fiji (pursuant to a request to a foreign country by Fiji under this Act) to give evidence relevant to the criminal proceeding,
the defendant may apply to the Court for a certificate that it would be in the interests of justice for the Attorney-General to make the appropriate request to the foreign country under Part II, III or IV.
(2) Before making a decision on the application, the Court shall give an opportunity to any party to the original proceedings, and the Attorney-General to appear before the Court and be heard on the merits of the application.
(3) In deciding whether to issue a certificate, the Court shall have regard to the following matters-
(a) whether the foreign country is likely to grant a request made by the Attorney-General on behalf of the defendant;
(b) he extent to which the material (whether it is evidence, a document, an article or a thing) that the defendant seeks to obtain from the foreign country would not otherwise be available;
(c) whether the Court hearing the original proceedings would be likely to admit the material into evidence in the proceedings;
(d) the likely probative value of the material, if it were admitted into evidence in the proceedings, with respect to any issue likely to be determined in the proceedings; or
(e) whether the defendant would be fairly prejudiced if the material were not available to the Court.
(4) Subsection (3) does not prevent the Court from taking any other matter into account that it considers relevant.
(5) If the Court issues a certificate-
(a) the Court shall send a copy of the certificate to the Attorney-General; and
(b) the Attorney-General shall, in accordance with the certificate, make a request on behalf of the defendant to the foreign country for international assistance unless he or she is of the opinion, having regard to the special circumstances of the case, that the request should not be made.
(a) La Corte estará facultada para formular solicitudes de cooperación a los Estados Partes. Éstas se transmitirán por vía diplomática o por cualquier otro conducto adecuado que haya designado cada Estado Parte a la fecha de la ratificación, aceptación, aprobación o adhesión. Cada Estado Parte podrá cambiar posteriormente esa designación de conformidad con las Reglas de Procedimiento y Prueba
(b) Cuando proceda, y sin perjuicio de lo dispuesto en el apartado a), las solicitudes podrán transmitirse también por conducto de la Organización Internacional de Policía Criminal o de cualquier organización regional competente.
2. Las solicitudes de cooperación y los documentos que las justifiquen estarán redactados en un idioma oficial del Estado requerido, o acompañados de una traducción a ese idioma, o a uno de los idiomas de trabajo de la Corte, según la elección que haya hecho el Estado a la fecha de la ratificación, aceptación, aprobación o adhesión. El Estado Parte podrá cambiar posteriormente esa elección de conformidad con las Reglas de Procedimiento y Prueba.
3. El Estado requerido preservará el carácter confidencial de toda solicitud de cooperación y de los documentos que las justifiquen, salvo en la medida en que su divulgación sea necesaria para tramitarla.
4. Con respecto a las solicitudes de asistencia presentadas de conformidad con la presente Parte, la Corte podrá adoptar todas las medidas, incluidas las relativas a la protección de la información, que sean necesarias para proteger la seguridad y el bienestar físico o psicológico de las víctimas, los posibles testigos y sus familiares. La Corte podrá solicitar que toda información comunicada en virtud de la presente Parte sea transmitida y procesada de manera que se proteja la seguridad y el bienestar físico o psicológico de las víctimas, los posibles testigos y sus familiares.
(a) La Corte podrá invitar a cualquier Estado que no sea parte en el presente Estatuto a prestar la asistencia prevista en la presente Parte sobre la base de un arreglo especial, un acuerdo con ese Estado o de cualquier otra manera adecuada.
(b) Cuando un Estado que no sea parte en el presente Estatuto y que haya celebrado un arreglo especial o un acuerdo con la Corte se niegue a cooperar en la ejecución de las solicitudes a que se refieran tal arreglo o acuerdo, la Corte podrá informar de ello a la Asamblea de los Estados Partes o al Consejo de Seguridad, si éste le hubiese remitido el asunto.
6. La Corte podrá solicitar de cualquier organización intergubernamental que le proporcione información o documentos. Asimismo, la Corte podrá solicitar otras formas de cooperación y asistencia que se hayan acordado con cualquiera de esas organizaciones, de conformidad con su competencia o mandato.
7. Cuando, en contravención de lo dispuesto en el presente Estatuto, un Estado Parte se niegue a dar curso a una solicitud de cooperación formulada por la Corte, impidiéndole ejercer sus funciones y atribuciones de conformidad con el presente Estatuto, ésta podrá hacer una constatación en ese sentido y remitir la cuestión a la Asamblea de los Estados Partes o al Consejo de Seguridad, si éste le hubiese remitido el asunto.