Lawyer attains masters

BENJAMIN Bofeng is the second lawyer from Constitutional and Law Reform Commission (CLRC) to attain a masters of laws and development from the University of Melbourne, Australia.
The 31-year-old, of mixed East Sepik, Morobe, and Western Highlands, was a recipient of the 2020 Australian Awards Scholarship and successfully completed the 15-month programme in March.
Bofeng said the programme covered the theory of development through law with an emphasis that sustainable means and local PNG ways of attaining development needed to be prioritised instead of merely relying on introduced foreign ideas.
“The programme assisted me to give back to the CLRC and the nation by ensuring that law reforms and reviews should consider development of laws in a PNG-centric manner with the focus on developing local jurisprudence in PNG,” he said.
Now promoted to senior legal officer within the drafts and advisory division, Bofeng thanked the Australia and PNG governments for the scholarship and the CLRC as the facilitator.
CLRC secretary Dr Mange Matui said the achievement was a fitting reward for Bofeng for being a hardworking and committed employee since his engagement in 2014.
“It has always been the focus of past and current management to provide opportunities for further studies so that as an organisation we create a conducive environment for staff to prosper and progress,” he said, adding that plans were underway for similar long-term studies for more staff next year.
Dr Matui also extended similar assurance to new staff this year, including lawyers Gedion Max, Collin Yak, Kenny Kaipas, Betrina Gelua and Salome Bamler, HR director Gilbert Hickie and payroll officer Consita Sohomai.