4 April 2016
Solomon lawyers identified as Pacific Legal Policy Champions
Two local lawyers have had the chance to strengthen their legal policy skills thanks to the Australian Government’s Pacific Legal Policy Development Program delivered by the Australian Attorney-General’s Department.
Jasper Highwood Anisi from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) and Kyla Venokana from the Ministry of Justice’s Policy Unit spent two weeks in Canberra last month, participating in the 2016 Pacific Legal Policy Champions Program.
Each year, legal policy development programs are delivered in Canberra for just a handful of law and justice officers selected from the Pacific who have been identified by AGD to become policy champions.
The program focuses on building legal policy development capability in the region. It includes practical workshops in policy development and implementation, as well as sessions with experts in subject matters relating to specific themes.
This year the program examined issues as wide-ranging as sexual and gender-based violence, cybercrime, police professional standards, illegal fishing and maritime pollution, and transnational organised crime.
Australian High Commissioner Andrew Byrne congratulated both participants for taking part in the program.
“I’m sure the program has provided valuable insights on policy development and how this can be applied effectively to your respective organisations,” said Mr Byrne.
ODPP Lawyer, Mr Anisi says he has learnt a lot from the training itself.
“This training has changed my perspective as a court room lawyer to assist policy makers have more options to deal with policy issues within the public sector. For example, it enables lawyers to assist policy makers understand technical aspects of the law when the need arises during the prosecution of a case,” said Mr Anisi.
“We are now accredited by the Australian Attorney General Department to run this course, and are now excited and looking forward to delivering the training to other lawyers in a few months’ time.