Salika points out need for staff training

PNG is passionate about improving the delivery of training programmes for its judicial and court officers and offers the programmes to other Pacific Island nations, a senior judge says.
Deputy Chief Justice Sir Gibbs Salika told chief justices and judges at the Pacific Judicial Conference in Port Moresby last Thursday about the educational role that the PNG Centre of Judicial Excellence could offer to Pacific countries.
“I have always known that one day we the Pacific Island countries would have to be able to conduct our own training programmes for judges and court officers,” Sir Gibbs said.
“I admit we have not advanced much in that regard but we are trying. We have an opportunity now to seriously consider PNG’s offer to house the Pacific Judicial and Court Officers Training Centre.
“Different modalities can be worked out by the chief justices of the region if the current model does not suit everyone. For instance, under PJDP (Pacific Judicial Development Programme), training activities were able to be moved from country to country.”
Sir Gibbs said similar arrangements could be tailored to suit the training needs of the Pacific Island countries.
He said the Pacific Judicial Education Programme (PJEP), Pacific Judicial Development Programme (PJDP) and now the Pacific Judicial Strengthening Initiatives (PJSI) were funded by the New Zealand government.
He said that funding could end soon which would leave questions about future training.
“A home for judicial and court officer training must therefore be found sooner rather than later,” Sir Gibbs said.
He said that judges and court staff who had gone through previous training would not be around forever.