News

Experienced legislative drafter needed in the Solomon Islands

Posted 07 Feb 2013

The  Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) in the Solomon Islands'  Ministry of Justice and Legal Affairs (MJLA) is looking for a legislative drafter to:

New report on women's lack of access to justice | Solomon Islands case study

Posted 07 Feb 2013

A new report from the International Development Law Organization (IDLO) - Accessing Justice: Models, Strategies and Best Practices on Women's Empowerment - finds that women seeking justice are disadvantaged by legal, political, social, cultural and economic barriers.

Alarm bells ringing over Fiji's constitutional reform process

Posted 11 Jan 2013

The President and Prime Minister of Fiji have announced that a revised draft Constitution will be released at the end of January 2013 and will be referred to a yet-to-be-appointed Constituent Assembly for consideration. A new Constitution may be in place in March 2013.
The interim government has announced that it will rewrite aspects of the Constitutional Commission's draft  before it is referred to the Constituent Assembly.

Legal challenge asserts customary title

Posted 10 Jan 2013

The leader of Vanuatu's Land and Justice Party is reported to be calling for an investigation into the leasing of 2,300 hectares of prime land on the north coast of Efate - Vanuatu's main island, for cattle farming.
According to media reports, the land, overlooking the Roi Mata World Heritage Area, has been leased to two investors with connections in New Caledonia - Michel Monvoisin and Ludovic Bolliet -  for just $9 a hectare.

Australia welcomes Fiji's progress towards a new Constitution

Posted 09 Jan 2013

Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has welcomed the completion of a draft new Constitution for Fiji, and the more than 7000 submissions that were lodged during the consultation process, according to Rowan Callick, writing in The Australian newspaper.
Three of the country's largest political parties, the Soqosoqo Duavata ni Lewenivanua (the United Fiji Party), the Fiji Labour Party and the United People's Party, are also said to support the new draft constitution.

Manus Island detention centre faces constitutional challenge in PNG

Posted 09 Jan 2013

The PNG Oppositition leader, the Hon Belden Namah, has told ABC Radio that applications will be made in the PNG Supreme Court claiming that Australia's offshore processing and detention centre on Manus Island for asylum seekers is unconstitutional.
Mr Namah argues that under PNG's Constitution people can only be detained for lengthy periods in PNG if they've been charged with a criminal offence.

Child marriage prohibitions said to be ineffective in PNG

Posted 04 Jan 2013

Papua New Guinea's Consultative and Implementation Monitoring Council (CIMC) is reported to have criticised the PNG Government for failing to enforce legislation protecting children and young people from forced marriages.
The CIMC is reported to have said that girls are often sold to men with money in resource-rich areas where international companies are based, but that the practise of forcing young people into relationships was widespread across the country.

World Bank Group announces four-year strategy for PNG

Posted 02 Jan 2013

On 21 December 2012 the World Bank Group announced a four-year strategy that aims to help the Government of Papua New Guinea to "reduce poverty, strengthen agriculture, develop renewable energy, scale up transport and telecommunications infrastructure, and improve the delivery of public services."
A reduction in gender-based inequality is also one of the outcomes expected from the investment plan.

Eight week listing for mining dispute in Solomon Islands

Posted 02 Jan 2013

Axiom Mining Limited has advised that the Solomon Islands High Court has set eight consecutive weeks from 5 August 2013 for hearing the matter of SMM Solomon Limited v the Solomon Islands Government, the registered landowners of Kolosori and Axiom KB Limited.
A case management conference is set for 7 February 2013 and a pre-trial conference on 23 May 2013.

Ni Vanuatu lawyer suing Phocea owner over alleged forged signature

Posted 29 Dec 2012

A Ni Vanuatu lawyer, Mr Les John Napuati, is suing the owner of the superyacht Phocea, Mr Pascal Ahn Saken, and the vessel’s agent in Vanuatu, in relation to an allegedly forged document.
The document purports to be a certificate that Mr Napuati signed when he was Commissioner of the Vanuatu Maritime Authority (2003-07) but Mr Napuati says the document is a fake.