---
title: Commercial Law Updates | Dismissal
description: Dismissal | Commercial law updates from Fiji and other Pacific legal jurisdictions
---

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# Commercial Law Updates

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## [Fiji Employment Law: when summary dismissal of an employee goes wrong](https://www.sas.com.fj/commercial-law-updates/fiji-employment-law-when-summary-dismissal-of-an-employee-goes-wrong)

[![](https://www.sas.com.fj/hubfs/employment%20court.jpg) ](https://www.sas.com.fj/commercial-law-updates/fiji-employment-law-when-summary-dismissal-of-an-employee-goes-wrong)

** Sep 17, 2018 / by [Ana Tuiwawa and Mary Muir](https://www.sas.com.fj/commercial-law-updates/author/ana-tuiwawa-and-mary-muir) posted in [Fiji's Constitution](https://www.sas.com.fj/commercial-law-updates/topic/fijis-constitution), [Fiji employment law](https://www.sas.com.fj/commercial-law-updates/topic/fiji-employment-law), [Dismissal](https://www.sas.com.fj/commercial-law-updates/topic/dismissal), [Summary dismissal](https://www.sas.com.fj/commercial-law-updates/topic/summary-dismissal), [Fiji immigration law](https://www.sas.com.fj/commercial-law-updates/topic/fiji-immigration-law), [Commercial lawyers Fiji](https://www.sas.com.fj/commercial-law-updates/topic/commercial-lawyers-fiji), [Fiji commercial lawyers](https://www.sas.com.fj/commercial-law-updates/topic/fiji-commercial-lawyers)

Pursuant to Fiji law, in situations of serious employee misconduct the employer has two choices, either:

- a summary dismissal for cause (as set out in section 33 of the Employment Relations Act) when the employer is certain of the facts and those facts warrant immediate termination of employment; or
- to undertake a disciplinary inquiry to ascertain all the facts and then, if those facts are proven, take appropriate disciplinary action that may include termination of employment, suspension from employment or written warning.

In both situations, the employer is acting “for cause” and, if the employer terminates the employee’s employment, must provide the employee with written reasons for the termination of employment at the time of termination.

In this employment law update we consider summary dismissal (on the spot termination without a disciplinary inquiry process) and note that a recent judgement of Sanjay Lal v Carpenters Fiji Limited (**Sanjay Lal v Carpenters**) issued from the Employment Relations Court (“**ERC**”) on 10 August 2018 provides some useful guidance from the ERC in relation to summary dismissal.

In a previous commercial legal update we provided some general information regarding the employer's duties relating to dismissing an employee for misconduct. This update can be found: [here](https://www.sas.com.fj/commercial-law-updates/fiji-employment-law-when-can-an-employer-dismiss-an-employee-for-misconduct)

[Read More **](https://www.sas.com.fj/commercial-law-updates/fiji-employment-law-when-summary-dismissal-of-an-employee-goes-wrong)

## [Fiji employment law: When can an employer dismiss an employee for misconduct?](https://www.sas.com.fj/commercial-law-updates/fiji-employment-law-when-can-an-employer-dismiss-an-employee-for-misconduct)

[![](https://www.sas.com.fj/hubfs/emp%202.jpg) ](https://www.sas.com.fj/commercial-law-updates/fiji-employment-law-when-can-an-employer-dismiss-an-employee-for-misconduct)

** Jan 15, 2018 / by [James Sloan](https://www.sas.com.fj/commercial-law-updates/author/james-sloan) posted in [Fiji employment law](https://www.sas.com.fj/commercial-law-updates/topic/fiji-employment-law), [Dismissal](https://www.sas.com.fj/commercial-law-updates/topic/dismissal), [Summary dismissal](https://www.sas.com.fj/commercial-law-updates/topic/summary-dismissal), [Disciplinary process](https://www.sas.com.fj/commercial-law-updates/topic/disciplinary-process)

Fiji's employment law, like that of other common law jurisdictions, is a mix of statutory rights and common law principles. Fiji's Employment Relations Act, provides every employee with clear minimum standards in relation to conditions like leave, hours of work and minimum contract terms that an employer may exceed but cannot fall below.

However, when it comes to dismissing an employee for misconduct an employer must not only consider the Act but also the employee's contract of employment and what the common law sets out an employer must do to accord the employee with a fair process and decision before the dismissal. In situations of employee misconduct this can be difficult to do as emotions may be running high but the employer must still apply the law and often the best course of conduct is not to rush to a final decision.

In this update we consider a recent judgment from the Employment Relations Tribunal that sets out the tests that the employer must meet when terminating an employee for cause. A good understanding of these legal tests and what the Employment Relations Tribunal wants in terms of a fair disciplinary process will assist the employer to reach the right decision, as well as minimise legal risk and the chances of an employee being unfairly dismissed.

[Read More **](https://www.sas.com.fj/commercial-law-updates/fiji-employment-law-when-can-an-employer-dismiss-an-employee-for-misconduct)

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