Justice of Appeal Prithviraj Fekna passes away |07 August 2019
Judge Fekna
President Faure expresses condolences to his family
President Danny Faure has expressed his deep condolences to the family of Justice of Appeal Prithviraj Fekna who passed away yesterday in Seychelles Hospital, following a short illness.
Justice Fekna, who was of Mauritian nationality, was aged 54. He was sworn into office on June 27, 2019 as a non-resident Justice of Appeal in the Seychelles Court of Appeal. He had travelled to Seychelles on August 1 and was admitted to Seychelles Hospital after falling ill on Monday August 5, 2019.
Judge Fekna took his oath before President Danny Faure on June 27, 2019 in the presence of Vice-President Vincent Meriton, the President of the Court of Appeal Francis Macgregor, Chief Justice Mathilda Twomey, leader of government business in the National Assembly Charles De Commarmond, Attorney General Frank Ally, justices of the Court of Appeal, judges of the Supreme Court, secretaries of state, members of the Constitutional Appointments Authority (CAA) and senior officials in the President’s Office.
Speaking on the day of his appointment, Judge Fekna said it was a great privilege to be following in the footsteps of other senior Mauritian Supreme Court judges who came before him to serve as Court of Appeal judges here.
“For me it is not only a pleasure but also a privilege to be here. I come with the attitude of sharing whatever experience and opportunities I have had during my work in Mauritius and I feel that Seychelles is working very much along the same line of administration of justice of fair trials for securing justice for the people,” Justice Fekna said.
Judge Fekna, who has 28 years’ experience in the judiciary, held a Bachelor and a Masters in law in legislative drafting.
He had held various posts in the Mauritian judiciary including President of the Fair Rank Tribunal and President of the Industrial Court. He was also a part time lecturer at the Institute of Judicial and Legal Studies in Mauritius. In 2011 he was elevated as judge of the Supreme Court until his appointment as Justice of Appeal.
President Faure appointed Judge Fekna as Justice of Appeal for Seychelles upon recommendations from the CAA under article 123 of the Constitution of the Republic of Seychelles.