Opening of the 6th Civil and Criminal Advocacy Program
10 July 2006; Holiday Inn, Port Moresby, PNG
Acting Australian High Commissioner to PNG, Ms Ann Harrap
Despite the fact that I am a Queenslander and a Maroons supporter and feeling outnumbered by all these Victorians I am very pleased to be here for the opening of the 6th Civil and Criminal Advocacy Program being run through the Legal Training Institute.
Australia is a proud supporter of the law and justice sector in PNG. We support the sector’s vision of a just, safe and secure society for all, as articulated in the sector’s National Law and Justice Policy and Sector Strategic Framework.
Through the Law and Justice Sector Program and the Enhanced Cooperation Program, Australia is committed to supporting the sector to achieve the vision, goals and objectives that it has set out in its policies. By supporting these programs, the Australian government provides about K80 million each year to the law and justice sector, in recognition of the importance of a strong legal system to the rule of law, governance, security and the overall prosperity of PNG.
We are particularly pleased to be supporting the Civil and Criminal Advocacy Program. The work of the Legal Training Institute is vital to furthering the sector’s key priority of ‘improving access to justice and just results’. I applaud the hard work and commitment of LTI, under the strong leadership of its Director, Mrs Pauline Mogish, in ensuring that PNG’s law graduates are well trained to become ethical, competent lawyers who can serve the citizens of PNG to a high standard. I understand that LTI is one of the oldest pre-admission legal training institutions in the Pacific, which underlines its important role in PNG’s legal system.
This is the sixth year that the Civil and Criminal Advocacy Program has been run and the Australian Government is proud to have supported it from its inception. We have seen over 300 legal trainees benefiting from the skills and knowledge that are shared through this course. This is all the more significant because we know that many graduates of LTI go on to become influential and respected professionals, not only in the legal profession but as leaders in PNG government, business and the community as a whole. These are people that make an immense contribution to their country, as is demonstrated by one of LTI’s very first graduates, Chief Justice Sir Mari Kapi. From my own perspective I didn’t have the benefit of training through the LTI , but did train as a lawyer in Australia and have ended up as a diplomat. So my point is that effective legal training does open up so many doors for your future careers.
Australia and PNG have a long history, connection and friendship and this is nowhere more evident than in the law and justice sector, where we share a common legal tradition. This leads to a natural partnership where Australian and Papua New Guinean legal professionals can share ideas, expertise and knowledge to each others’ mutual benefit.
The training provided to LTI’s students through the Civil and Criminal Advocacy Program is of the highest quality, being delivered by extremely experienced and respected legal professionals from Victoria. Over the years, a long and established relationship has blossomed between the Victorian Bar and the PNG legal fraternity as a result of this program. We are pleased that the course has been integrated into the LTI’s curriculum, ensuring that PNG’s legal graduates are able to benefit from it before embarking on their legal careers.
I would like to thank our guests from Victoria for giving up their time and sharing their expertise as part of this important initiative and I wish all the trainers the best of luck for the course and for their professional careers ahead and I have to say as a female professional, I’m delighted to see so many women participating this year. I wish you all the best, as Judge Eames says, learn and have fun.
Thank you.
END