Summary
Noor Dean is an Indo-Fijian lawyer and politician who served in the Suva City Council and was elected to the House of Representatives of Fiji in 1987.
Noor Dean | |
|---|---|
| Member of House of Representatives (Fiji) Labasa/Bua Indian Communal Constituency | |
| In office 1987–1987 | |
| Preceded by | Mohammed Sadiq |
| Succeeded by | Constitution abrogated |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Suva, Fiji |
| Political party | National Federation Party |
| Residence(s) | Melbourne, Australia |
| Profession | Lawyer |
Early life edit
He was born in Suva, Fiji in 1946, the oldest boy in a family of 12. His father, the late Rahmat Dean was a popular architect who designed the Toorak Mosque in Suva. He worked as a school teacher, and then became a lawyer[1] after training as a Barrister at Gray's Inn.[2]
Political career edit
Dean served in the Suva City Council since 1972, representing the National Federation Party (NFP) and was elected Suva's Lord Mayor for the 1982–1983 term.[1] Noor served the NFP as Branch Secretary, Youth Leader, National Organising Secretary[1] and National Vice-president.
For the 1987 general election, the NFP-Labour Coalition chose him as a candidate for the Labasa/Bua Indian Communal Constituency which he won easily. He was elected the Deputy Speaker[3] but was a member of Parliament for a month before the 1987 Fijian coups d'état ended his political career. He was detained by the military regime,[4] but released after a few days in custody.[5] He later claimed that the coup had been carried out not by Fijians, but by American mercenaries.[2][6]
Post-coup edit
After the coup he left Fiji and worked as a lawyer in Australia. He was a Partner in Victoria law firm, Buxton and Associates, and then Principal at MLC Lawyers in Melbourne. In 2006 he was found guilty of professional misconduct, fined $3000, and ordered to pay $13000 in compensation after failing to file a visa application for a clinet, resulting in them being classified as an illegal immigrant.[7] In 2019 he was again found guilty of professional misconduct, and fined $8000.[8]
References edit
- ^ a b c Michael C. Howard (2011). Fiji: Race and Politics in an Island State. UBC Press. p. 385.
- ^ a b "The U.S. in Fiji - A Coup In Question" (29 ed.). The Pacific: Covert Action Information Bulletin. December 1988. Retrieved 27 January 2017.
- ^ "Qereqeretabua continues NFP tradition". FijiLive. 16 February 2023. Retrieved 23 March 2023.
- ^ "Judges defy Rabuka order of obedience". Canberra Times. 28 September 1987. p. 5. Retrieved 23 March 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Bavadra, released from jail, hopes for a peaceful solution Fiji republic plans 'put on hold'". Canberra Times. 1 October 1987. p. 1. Retrieved 23 March 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "The Fiji Coup: Was America to Blame?". Pacific Islands Monthly. Vol. 58, no. 10. 1 October 1987. p. 48. Retrieved 23 March 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Lawyer leaves couple in the lurch". The Age. 7 March 2006. Retrieved 23 March 2023.
- ^ "Vic-based sole practitioner reprimanded, fined $8k for professional misconduct". Lawyers Weekly. 28 March 2019. Retrieved 23 March 2023.