Pacific Islands Law Officers' Network
Pacific Law and Justice News
The PILON Secretariat’s role includes providing an information and communications network for senior law officers of the Pacific, and a focal point for liaison with regional and international organisations and law and justice mechanisms. For these purposes the PILON Secretariat maintains this law and justice news page in the Pacific for the benefit of members and observers.
The PILON Secretariat would be interested to hear of any Pacific news in the law and justice sector for the purposes of hosting on this page. Please send items pilon.secretariat@ag.gov.au to be considered for inclusion.
Australian Government Solicitor to provide pro bono assistance to Pacific island countries
The Canberra Office of the Australian Government Solicitor is able to provide possible pro bono legal assistance across its broad range of practice areas. For example, these areas include legal training, legislative drafting and could extend to commercial law advice and training in legal advice writing.
The Canberra Office would be happy to discuss possible proposals with relevant Pacific Island agencies or departments with a view to determining whether they would be suitable to be considered formally within AGS. No guarantee of assistance could be provided until formal approval is finalised by AGS management.
For more information or to seek assistance, please contact the PILON Secretariat.
Australian Association of Crown Prosecutors Annual Conference and Pacific Prosecutors Conference – 7-10 July 2009
The Australian Association of Crown Prosecutors is holding its annual conference from 8-10 July 2009 and will be held in conjunction with the Pacific Prosecutors’ Conference.
The Pacific Prosecutors’ Conference has been initiated and developed by Pacific prosecutors to address specific challenges they face in their countries. In December 2008 at the Pacific Islands Law Officers’ Network Annual Meeting, senior law officers discussed the issue that prosecutors from around the Pacific do not have a forum or an association for prosecutors to come together and discuss issues regarding prosecutor independence, integrity, accountability, and the challenges faced in the prosecution of specific crimes in the Pacific. Senior law officers at the December meeting agreed that Pacific prosecutors should convene an initial conference as a first step towards addressing these issues.
The two conferences being held together will complement each other by allowing an exchange of ideas and by providing a platform to build closer links between Australian and Pacific prosecutors.