This week Australia is providing critical support to Solomon Islands’ national judiciary to digitise new and historic legal judgments and to improve access to justice for all. Australia handed over ICT equipment while also supporting the Pacific Islands Legal Information Institute (PACLII) to deliver training on uploading judgments online.
In his welcome remarks, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Justice and Legal Affairs (MJLA), George Hoa’au, talked about the impact of this support to the judiciary. “These scanners are not just scanners. Once a court judgment is made, it is the right of the people to have that judgment made freely accessible. This is an important part of our democracy, and with this equipment we will be able to upload archived judgments dating back to 1950.”
Permanent Secretary Hoa’au also said that the initiative will allow Solomon Islands to develop and contribute its legal jurisprudence regionally and internationally.
This support complements the work of the Solomon Islands-Australia law and justice partnership to increase access to justice through digitisation. Earlier this year, Australia supported the High Court to launch an historic e-filing system, which will allow practitioners and judges to manage legal matters entirely online.
E-filing is made possible through the Justice Information Management System, a custom-built law and justice sector wide case management system that Solomon Islands and Australia have been developing together for over ten years.
Permanent Secretary Hoa’au also acknowledged Australia’s support for Melanesian Twinning. In October 2025, Australia supported the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between Solomon Islands MJLA and PACLII in Vanuatu, to assist in delivering training.
Permanent Secretary Hoa’au added that the Melanesian Twinning program supports the Solomon Islands Government policy of developing partnerships to advance initiatives across the law and justice sector.
Solomon Islands and Australia are enduring partners, with Permanent Secretary Hoa’au adding that “Australia is Solomon Islands genuine partner of choice” in the sector.
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