About PILON

The Pacific Islands Law Officers’ Network (PILON) is a network of senior law officers of the Pacific. It provides a forum for addressing law and justice issues common to countries within the Pacific region. Meetings are usually attended by Attorneys-General, Solicitors-General and senior Crown Counsel or representatives of each. Although PILON is an independent body it has close relationships with regional and international organisations.

The network focuses on legal issues that are not addressed in other Pacific policy forums. Pacific island countries face common challenges in the law and justice field. PILON aims to provide a forum where these issues can be discussed and progressed at a regional level. Through PILON, communication and cooperation between law officers in the Pacific region is enhanced. 

PILON holds meetings annually, with the location of each meeting being determined at the previous meeting. The host country rotates annually and is determined on a voluntary basis, with endorsement of members at each meeting. The host country chairs the annual meeting and remains the Chair until the next meeting. The Chair works with the Secretariat and the Executive Committee to develop an agenda for the forthcoming meeting.

The 26th PILON meeting was held in the Cook Islands from 6 to 10 December 2007. It is anticipated that the 27th meeting will be held in November 2008. A host country is yet to be identified.

PILON is governed by a Charter [PDF 55KB] and Rules of Procedure [PDF 45KB].

Executive Committee

At the 26th PILON meeting it was decided that a permanent committee should be established to provide guidance to the Secretariat and direct the work of the organisation between meetings. An Executive Committee was established which comprises the Cook Islands, as chair, Kiribati and New Zealand. When a host country for the 27th meeting is identified they will also take a place on the Executive Committee.