PNG woman joins Fijian High Court

A PAPUA New Guinean lawyer and businesswoman made history when she was admitted to practise law in the High Court of Fiji on Aug 12 this year.
Joyce Mano, follows the only other PNG woman, Alofa Aiva Seruvatu who was admitted in 1996.
Seruvatu, a former diplomat, is now a Fijian citizen but will never renounce her link to her native Kairuku in the Central province.
Seruvatu runs her own legal practice, Alofa Seruvatu Lawyers in Suva, Fiji’s capital.
In moving Mano’s admission, Seruvatu told the Chief Justice: “Ms Mano, as a highlands woman in her country, has broken all traditional barriers and challenges in her respective community and society to be where she is today and she has done her family proud.”
Mano comes from Erave in the Southern Highlands province and was first admitted in the National Court of PNG in 2010.
She holds a double degree in law and industrial psychology from UPNG and is currently pursuing a Masters in Business Administration at the University of South Pacific, Fiji.
Mano went to Fiji in 2008 and established a financial services company serving government and private sector workers.
Chief Justice of Fiji, Anthony Gates, congratulated Mano and 32 others who were admitted to the bar with her.
In a statement, Mano said: “It was a special day in my life.
“I thank God for the achievement.
“I am also happy because my mother and other family members have travelled to Fiji to witness my admission to the Fiji bar.
“I thank the government of Fiji for providing a conducive environment for me to realise my dreams.”