Dispute resolution for customary lands: Some lessons from Fiji

Customary land tenure involves a complex and detailed array of tenure rights which are often difficult to reconcile with western systems of land tenure. Land disputes arising from customary land tenure are costly, time consuming and often hinder the operation of governments, land administrators, developers, investors, proprietors and land users. These disputes may be the result of the customary system or the result of the tensions of a dual tenure system. This paper discusses the experience of Fiji in addressing disputes involving customary land and proposes a framework for resolving disputes in customary land.