''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 Cour est habilitée à adresser des demandes de coopération aux États Parties. Ces demandes sont transmises par la voie diplomatique ou toute autre voie appropriée que chaque État Partie choisit au moment de la ratification, de l'acceptation ou de l'approbation du présent Statut ou de l'adhésion à celui-ci.Toute modification ultérieure du choix de la voie de transmission est faite par chaque État Partie conformément au Règlement de procédure et de preuve.
b) S'il y a lieu, et sans préjudice des dispositions de l'alinéa a), les demandes peuvent être également transmises par l'Organisation internationale de police criminelle (INTERPOL) ou par toute organisation régionale compétente.
2. Les demandes de coopération et les pièces justificatives y afférentes sont soit rédigées dans une langue officielle de l'État requis ou accompagnées d'une traduction dans cette langue, soit rédigées dans l'une des langues de travail de la Cour ou accompagnées d'une traduction dans l'une de ces langues, selon le choix fait par l'État requis au moment de la ratification, de l'acceptation ou de l'approbation du présent Statut ou de l'adhésion à celui-ci.Toute modification ultérieure de ce choix est faite conformément au Règlement de procédure et de preuve.
3. L'État requis respecte le caractère confidentiel des demandes de coopération et des pièces justificatives y afférentes, sauf dans la mesure où leur divulgation est nécessaire pour donner suite à la demande.
4. En ce qui concerne les demandes d'assistance présentées au titre du présent chapitre, la Cour peut prendre, notamment en matière de protection des renseignements, les mesures qui peuvent être nécessaires pour garantir la sécurité et le bien-être physique ou psychologique des victimes, des témoins potentiels et des membres de leur famille. La Cour peut demander que tout renseignement fourni au titre du présent chapitre soit communiqué et traité de telle sorte que soient préservés la sécurité et le bien-être physique ou psychologique des victimes, des témoins potentiels et des membres de leur famille.
a) La Cour peut inviter tout État non partie au présent Statut à prêter son assistance au titre du présent chapitre sur la base d'un arrangement ad hoc ou d'un accord conclu avec cet État ou sur toute autre base appropriée.
b) Si, ayant conclu avec la Cour un arrangement ad hoc ou un accord, un État non partie au présent Statut n'apporte pas l'assistance qui lui est demandée en vertu de cet arrangement ou de cet accord, la Cour peut en informer l'Assemblée des États Parties, ou le Conseil de sécurité lorsque c'est celui-ci qui l'a saisie.
6. La Cour peut demander des renseignements ou des documents à toute organisation intergouvernementale. Elle peut également solliciter d'autres formes de coopération et d'assistance dont elle est convenue avec une organisation intergouvernementale et qui sont conformes aux compétences ou au mandat de celle-ci.
7. Si un État Partie n'accède pas à une demande de coopération de la Cour contrairement à ce que prévoit le présent Statut, et l'empêche ainsi d'exercer les fonctions et les pouvoirs que lui confère le présent Statut, la Cour peut en prendre acte et en référer à l'Assemblée des États Parties ou au Conseil de sécurité lorsque c'est celui-ci qui l'a saisie.