Moti Tikaram
Sir Moti Tikaram, KBE, CF (18 March 1925 – 17 May 2012) was a judge of the Supreme Court of Fiji, the first ombudsman of independent Fiji and a football administrator. He was the first local person to be appointed to the Supreme Court of Fiji. He served on numerous boards and committees and was the patron of several sporting organisations.
Sir Moti Tikaram | |
---|---|
Born | [1] Lami, Fiji | 18 March 1925
Died | 17 May 2012 87) Suva, Fiji | (aged
Nationality | Fijian |
Education | L.L.B. |
Occupation | Judge, ombudsman |
Children | 3 |
Legal and judicial career
He was appointed Fiji's first Ombudsman in 1972. At the time of his retirement in 1987, he was the longest serving national ombudsman in the world.[2] He was a member of the International Commission of Jurists from 1984 to 1989.[3] After Fiji became a republic in 1987, he was re-appointed as a judge and served for many years as the President of the Fiji Court of Appeal.[4] He acted as Chief Justice of Fiji on many occasions.
Football administrator
Tikaram was the President of the Fiji Football Association from 1959 to 1960 and is credited with making the Association multi-racial and initiating moves to have its name changed from Fiji Indian Football Association.[5]
Awards
- In 2007, he was awarded with Pravasi Bharatiya Samman by the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs.[2]
- In 2009, was awarded the "Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Award" in New Delhi, India at the Indian Diaspora Celebrations.[6]
Family
He was the great uncle of actor Ramon Tikaram and singer-songwriter Tanita Tikaram.
References
- Karan, Maneesha (14 February 2007). "Sir Moti relives early days". Fiji Times. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 2007-08-09.
- "International Commission of Jurists". Retrieved 2007-08-09.
- "A distinguished path". Retrieved 2009-07-18.
- "How it started". Archived from the original on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2007-08-09.
- "Sir Moti honoured in India". Retrieved 2009-01-31.
Sources
- "A distinguished path": biography by the Fiji Times, July 16, 2009