Government of the Republic of Fiji
Government of the Republic of Fiji
10/29/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 10/28/2024 17:48
ADDRESS BY THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL MR. GRAHAM LEUNG AT THE PACIFIC ISLANDS LAW OFFICERS NETWORK MEETING
The Hon. Minister for Justice (Fiji), Mr Siromi Turaga;
Hon Judges, Attorneys-General, Secretaries, Deputy Secretaries, Solicitors-General, Directors of Public Prosecution, senior law officials from the region and beyond;
Distinguished speakers;
Members of observer groups and invited guests;
Ladies and gentlemen.
Good Morning to you all.
I am pleased to extend to each one of you, a very warm welcome to this Pacific Islands Law Officers Network meeting 2024.
I see many familiar faces and old friends in the room today; it brings back happy memories of my time on the Executive Committee of PILON and when I was Chairman of the Working Group on Environmental Crime and Corruption in 2018.
This meeting is not just an opportunity to share our experiences; it is a chance to deepen our collaboration. The Pacific Islands face unique challenges, but we also share common values and aspirations.
A forum such as this provides a great opportunity to review existing legal frameworks and emerging legal issues and reflect on how our respective jurisdictions are responding to changing circumstances and challenges.
This event marks the 43rd annual meeting of PILON since 1981, initially under the title of Pacific Islands Law Officers' Meeting (PILOM).
In 2007, PILOM formalised its organisational structure to identify, and take action on, law and justice issues common across the Pacific. The Network also changed its name to PILON to reflect the information sharing and supporting role of the organisation, developed its Charter and Rules of Procedure, and established a permanent Secretariat.
For the benefit of those that are new, PILON was initially established to:
a. provide a network for senior law officers in the Pacific to share expertise, exchange experiences and learn from each other in order to advance key law and justice issues;
b. strengthen regional policy and operational cooperation on key law and justice issues;
c. develop regionally supported law and justice policies for consideration by appropriate decision-making bodies;
d. identify initiatives and deliver programs to build the capacity of PILON country member law and justice agencies; and
e. engage and collaborate with other regional and international organisations and networks as part of furthering the above purposes.
The goal of working together across the Pacific to strengthen justice, democracy and the rule of law, and contribute to peaceful, safe, secure and prosperous Pacific communities makes a lot of sense. An informed legal profession is one of the best guarantees of a continuing democracy.
Most of our island countries are under resourced and lack capacity in so many areas. But if we pool resources, it can make a big difference. There are significant benefits to sharing and combining resources to leverage our Pacific voice, influence and competitiveness and to overcome geographical and demographic disadvantages.
The challenge for you as leaders and senior law officers is to operationalise PILON's vision so it becomes practical and meaningful for the people you serve.
While networking and socialising is important, it must not be an end itself.
Our people and constituents have every right to ask us what we have achieved in real terms that is making a difference to their daily lives.
PILON members have agreed upon three strategic priorities for the 2024-2026 cycle: corruption; sexual and gender-based violence, and cybercrime.
As senior law officers are you effectively communicating clear and constructive perspectives on regional and national legal issues to the governments you serve? Do your agreed strategic priorities need a rethink and a reset? Do they reflect current demands and aspirations?
At the recently concluded 53rd Leaders meeting in the Tongan capital Nukualofa, the Forum Communique noted that Climate Change continues to be a matter of priority to the Pacific region. [1]That surely has to be an understatement.
I would go further and say climate change poses a profound existential threat for many Pacific states, with the potential to disrupt decades of progress and burden future generations with the costs of unsustainable economic development.
I therefore find it surprising in reviewing past PILON publications and literature that the issue barely rates a mention.
At the Forum in Tonga, the Leaders strongly encouraged all Forum Members to participate in the oral hearings in the ICJ advisory proceedings in respect of climate change which is scheduled to begin on 2 December 2024 at the Peace Palace in The Hague.
I hope that as many of you as possible will take part in the ICJ hearing and support this initiative which has been ably championed by the government of Vanuatu.
As you meet in Denarau this week, your members and Executive Committee might wish to consider a mid-term review of your strategic plan and consider including climate change as one of the priorities of PILON. It is both a human rights and development issue deserving of consideration.
Since the inception of PILON almost half a century ago, the world has changed in so many ways.
Conflicts in Europe, the Middle East and places like Sudan have caused untold human suffering and gross violations of human rights.
While we live in the Pacific live in an ocean of relative peace, we have our own problems that affect peace and security and the rule of law. We cannot live in silos and pretend that the scourge of war and threats to democracy elsewhere are of no concern to us.
Challenges to the independence of the judiciary, overreach by the executive branch of government in some instances and a failure to respect the separation of powers all present risks to the rule of law.
Digitalisation, AI, robotics and social media have all combined to produce remarkable challenges about how we interact and do business. Technology and machine learning algorithms are already changing the legal profession in many countries. They present both challenges and opportunities for lawyers.
Some European countries have already implemented automated processes for online dispute resolution. A survey by the CBRE Group, the world's largest commercial real estate services and investment firm shows that 48% London's law firms are already using AI. Of the firms already employing AI, 63% are using it for legal document generation and review.
The internet, ease of travel and globalisation have brought people closer together as physical barriers between countries become more porous. These changes, driven in part by the new millennials and advances in science and technology, are bound to impact us all as legal professionals.
Are you ready to meet and address these challenges? Do our leaders, legislators and policy makers understand the implications presented by these challenges? Are you as lawyers keeping abreast and informed of these developments?
Authoritarianism is on the rise around the world, posing dire threats to democracy and human rights. Almost daily, news media report on the erosion of democracy at the hands of ruthless autocrats and would-be dictators in various parts of the world.
While universal belief in democracy remains strong, a new global survey commissioned by the Open Society Foundations showed that there may be growing receptivity of authoritarian systems of government in the younger generations.
The survey was conducted across 30 countries around the world and is representative of 5.5 billion people.
The authors of the study noted the "disturbing finding" that there exists a stark correlation between age group and the likelihood of believing that an authoritarian style of government is a good of running a country.
Among those over 56 years old, one-fifth answered that "army rule" is a good way of running a country. The proportion of those who believe the same is even higher among those aged 36-55, of whom a full third agreed. That proportion only continues to grow among the younger generation.
Among those aged 18-35, 42% said army rule is a good way of running a country.
The pivot towards and consolidation of authoritarianism in some countries should be of concern to all lawyers everywhere.
In the course of your deliberations, I would encourage your Executive Committee to take a hard and critical look not only of your achievements, but more of where you might have failed or fallen short, and to consider practical steps and measures to achieve more meaningful and robust outcomes to attain PILON's vision and objectives.
Are the Working Groups achieving their aims? How do you measure success? What does success look like? Should the format of your annual meeting change? Be less structured for example and have room for more interactive dialogue between participants?
In closing let me record my appreciation to the Commonwealth of Australia, New Zealand for its continued support for the work of PILON.
Without that support, it is doubtful whether PILON would have been able to accomplish the valuable work that it undertakes for its membership.
I also wish to acknowledge the dedication and professionalism of my friend, your longstanding PILON Coordinator Sasae Walter. PILON is fortunate to have her services.
I wish you all a successful and constructive meeting.
Hon Judges, Attorneys-General, Secretaries, Deputy Secretaries, Solicitors-General, Directors of Public Prosecution, senior law officials from the region and beyond;
Distinguished speakers;
Members of observer groups and invited guests;
Ladies and gentlemen.
Good Morning to you all.
I am pleased to extend to each one of you, a very warm welcome to this Pacific Islands Law Officers Network meeting 2024.
I see many familiar faces and old friends in the room today; it brings back happy memories of my time on the Executive Committee of PILON and when I was Chairman of the Working Group on Environmental Crime and Corruption in 2018.
This meeting is not just an opportunity to share our experiences; it is a chance to deepen our collaboration. The Pacific Islands face unique challenges, but we also share common values and aspirations.
A forum such as this provides a great opportunity to review existing legal frameworks and emerging legal issues and reflect on how our respective jurisdictions are responding to changing circumstances and challenges.
This event marks the 43rd annual meeting of PILON since 1981, initially under the title of Pacific Islands Law Officers' Meeting (PILOM).
In 2007, PILOM formalised its organisational structure to identify, and take action on, law and justice issues common across the Pacific. The Network also changed its name to PILON to reflect the information sharing and supporting role of the organisation, developed its Charter and Rules of Procedure, and established a permanent Secretariat.
For the benefit of those that are new, PILON was initially established to:
a. provide a network for senior law officers in the Pacific to share expertise, exchange experiences and learn from each other in order to advance key law and justice issues;
b. strengthen regional policy and operational cooperation on key law and justice issues;
c. develop regionally supported law and justice policies for consideration by appropriate decision-making bodies;
d. identify initiatives and deliver programs to build the capacity of PILON country member law and justice agencies; and
e. engage and collaborate with other regional and international organisations and networks as part of furthering the above purposes.
The goal of working together across the Pacific to strengthen justice, democracy and the rule of law, and contribute to peaceful, safe, secure and prosperous Pacific communities makes a lot of sense. An informed legal profession is one of the best guarantees of a continuing democracy.
Most of our island countries are under resourced and lack capacity in so many areas. But if we pool resources, it can make a big difference. There are significant benefits to sharing and combining resources to leverage our Pacific voice, influence and competitiveness and to overcome geographical and demographic disadvantages.
The challenge for you as leaders and senior law officers is to operationalise PILON's vision so it becomes practical and meaningful for the people you serve.
While networking and socialising is important, it must not be an end itself.
Our people and constituents have every right to ask us what we have achieved in real terms that is making a difference to their daily lives.
PILON members have agreed upon three strategic priorities for the 2024-2026 cycle: corruption; sexual and gender-based violence, and cybercrime.
As senior law officers are you effectively communicating clear and constructive perspectives on regional and national legal issues to the governments you serve? Do your agreed strategic priorities need a rethink and a reset? Do they reflect current demands and aspirations?
At the recently concluded 53rd Leaders meeting in the Tongan capital Nukualofa, the Forum Communique noted that Climate Change continues to be a matter of priority to the Pacific region. [1]That surely has to be an understatement.
I would go further and say climate change poses a profound existential threat for many Pacific states, with the potential to disrupt decades of progress and burden future generations with the costs of unsustainable economic development.
I therefore find it surprising in reviewing past PILON publications and literature that the issue barely rates a mention.
At the Forum in Tonga, the Leaders strongly encouraged all Forum Members to participate in the oral hearings in the ICJ advisory proceedings in respect of climate change which is scheduled to begin on 2 December 2024 at the Peace Palace in The Hague.
I hope that as many of you as possible will take part in the ICJ hearing and support this initiative which has been ably championed by the government of Vanuatu.
As you meet in Denarau this week, your members and Executive Committee might wish to consider a mid-term review of your strategic plan and consider including climate change as one of the priorities of PILON. It is both a human rights and development issue deserving of consideration.
Since the inception of PILON almost half a century ago, the world has changed in so many ways.
Conflicts in Europe, the Middle East and places like Sudan have caused untold human suffering and gross violations of human rights.
While we live in the Pacific live in an ocean of relative peace, we have our own problems that affect peace and security and the rule of law. We cannot live in silos and pretend that the scourge of war and threats to democracy elsewhere are of no concern to us.
Challenges to the independence of the judiciary, overreach by the executive branch of government in some instances and a failure to respect the separation of powers all present risks to the rule of law.
Digitalisation, AI, robotics and social media have all combined to produce remarkable challenges about how we interact and do business. Technology and machine learning algorithms are already changing the legal profession in many countries. They present both challenges and opportunities for lawyers.
Some European countries have already implemented automated processes for online dispute resolution. A survey by the CBRE Group, the world's largest commercial real estate services and investment firm shows that 48% London's law firms are already using AI. Of the firms already employing AI, 63% are using it for legal document generation and review.
The internet, ease of travel and globalisation have brought people closer together as physical barriers between countries become more porous. These changes, driven in part by the new millennials and advances in science and technology, are bound to impact us all as legal professionals.
Are you ready to meet and address these challenges? Do our leaders, legislators and policy makers understand the implications presented by these challenges? Are you as lawyers keeping abreast and informed of these developments?
Authoritarianism is on the rise around the world, posing dire threats to democracy and human rights. Almost daily, news media report on the erosion of democracy at the hands of ruthless autocrats and would-be dictators in various parts of the world.
While universal belief in democracy remains strong, a new global survey commissioned by the Open Society Foundations showed that there may be growing receptivity of authoritarian systems of government in the younger generations.
The survey was conducted across 30 countries around the world and is representative of 5.5 billion people.
The authors of the study noted the "disturbing finding" that there exists a stark correlation between age group and the likelihood of believing that an authoritarian style of government is a good of running a country.
Among those over 56 years old, one-fifth answered that "army rule" is a good way of running a country. The proportion of those who believe the same is even higher among those aged 36-55, of whom a full third agreed. That proportion only continues to grow among the younger generation.
Among those aged 18-35, 42% said army rule is a good way of running a country.
The pivot towards and consolidation of authoritarianism in some countries should be of concern to all lawyers everywhere.
In the course of your deliberations, I would encourage your Executive Committee to take a hard and critical look not only of your achievements, but more of where you might have failed or fallen short, and to consider practical steps and measures to achieve more meaningful and robust outcomes to attain PILON's vision and objectives.
Are the Working Groups achieving their aims? How do you measure success? What does success look like? Should the format of your annual meeting change? Be less structured for example and have room for more interactive dialogue between participants?
In closing let me record my appreciation to the Commonwealth of Australia, New Zealand for its continued support for the work of PILON.
Without that support, it is doubtful whether PILON would have been able to accomplish the valuable work that it undertakes for its membership.
I also wish to acknowledge the dedication and professionalism of my friend, your longstanding PILON Coordinator Sasae Walter. PILON is fortunate to have her services.
I wish you all a successful and constructive meeting.