THE Chief Justice yesterday commissioned and opened refurbished judges’ chambers at the Supreme and National Court of Papua New Guinea in Port Moresby.
Designed to accommodate five newly appointed judges and support staff, the new chambers will make an immediate impact, enabling the prompt onboarding of newly appointed judges and thereby, supporting a more responsive legal system.
In addition to meeting PNG’s immediate needs, the chambers’ flexible layout will accommodate additional judges as the National Judicial Staff Services (NJSS) steps up recruitment in the years ahead or can be repurposed for other activities to suit NJSS’s needs.  
Australian High Commissioner, Mr John Feakes, joined Chief Justice Sir Gibuma Gibbs Salika to officially open the refurbished judges’ chambers.
The new chambers, the result of a refurbishment project supported by Australia and implemented in partnership with the Office of the Chief Justice and the National Judiciary Staff Services (NJSS), underlines Australia’s ongoing commitment to improve judicial capacity in PNG as part of broader support to advance PNG and Australia’s shared security priorities and ensure a peaceful, stable, prosperous Pacific.  
The refurbishment transformed existing space into a modern, accessible and environmentally sustainable workspace. By engaging local companies, the project generated 25 local jobs and built expertise, which will help PNG employ home-grown skills to deliver essential infrastructure for the country’s long-term development.  
Built to Papua New Guinean and Australian standards, the project applied gender, equity, disability, social inclusion and safeguarding principles, ensuring access to justice is available to everyone.
“Australia remains committed to working alongside PNG to increase access to justice. Together – through the Australia-Papua New Guinea Bilateral Security Agreement – we are upholding the values that underpin our partnership: security, justice and the rule of law,” said High Commissioner Feakes.
