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Public Holidays Act

LAWS OF FIJI

CHAPTER 101

PUBLIC HOLIDAYS

Ordinances Nos. 1 of 1931, 5 of 1937

AN ACT TO MAKE PROVISION FOR PUBLIC HOLIDAYS

[9th February, 1931]

Short title

1. This Act may be cited as the Public Holidays Act.

Certain days to be holidays

2.-(1) The several days in the Schedule mentioned, hereinafter referred to as public holidays, shall be kept as close holidays in all public offices and banks in Fiji. If any of these public holidays fall on a Sunday, the following Monday shall be a public holiday unless otherwise ordered by the Minister by notification in the Gazette.

(2) Notwithstanding anything contained in subsection (1), when either of the days following falls on any day of the week other than Monday such day shall not be a public holiday but either the preceding or the following Monday as the Minister shall appoint by notification in the Gazette shall be a public holiday in lieu thereof-

(a) the anniversary of the birthday of the Heir to the Throne;

(b) the tenth day of October.

(3) When the twenty-sixth day of December falls on a Monday the day following shall be a public holiday.

Bills due on public holidays to be payable on following day

3. All bills of exchange and promissory notes which are due and payable on any such public holiday shall be payable and, in case of non-payment, may be noted and protested on the next following day and not on such public holiday, and any such noting and protest shall be as valid as if made on the day on which the bill or note was made due and payable and for all the purposes of this Act the day next following a public holiday shall mean the next following day on which a bill of exchange may be lawfully noted or protested.

Provision as to notice of dishonour and presentation for honour

4. When the day on which any notice of dishonour of an unpaid bill of exchange or promissory note should be given or when the day on which a bill of exchange or promissory note should be presented or received for acceptance or accepted or forwarded to any referee or referees is a public holiday, such notice of dishonour shall be given and such bill of exchange or promissory note shall be presented or forwarded on the day next following such public holiday.

As to any payments on public holidays

5. No person shall be compellable to make any payment or to do any act upon such public holiday which he would not be compellable to do or make on a Sunday and the obligation to make such payment and do such act shall apply to the day following such public holiday and the making of such payment and the doing of such act on such following day shall be equivalent to payment of the money or performance of the act on the public holiday.

Appointment of special public holidays

6. The Minister may be notification in the Gazette appoint a special day or any part of a day to be kept as a close holiday in all public offices and in all banks in Fiji or in any part thereof or in any town or district, and everyday so appointed shall, as regards bills of exchange and promissory notes, be deemed to be a public holiday for all the purposes of this Act.

Right to open public offices and require attendance of
public servants and government employees

7. Notwithstanding anything contained in this Act the head of any Government department may open the offices and works thereof and call upon all or any persons employed in such department to perform such of their duties on any public holiday as to such head of department may seem fit.

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THE SCHEDULE

(Section 2(1))

(Amended by 5 of 1937, s.2)

The first day of January.

Good Friday.

The day after Good Friday.

Easter Monday.

The day appointed for the celebration of the anniversary of the birthday of the Sovereign.

The anniversary of the birthday of the Heir to the Throne.

The first Monday in August.

The tenth day of October.

Christmas Day.

The twenty-sixth day of December.

Controlled by Ministry for Labour, Industrial Relations and Immigration

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