A new group of Papua New Guinean lawyers is building the skills and confidence they will need as they prepare to enter legal practice.
Recently 78 trainee lawyers worked directly with experienced Queensland barristers to strengthen their advocacy, legal judgement and understanding of commercial litigation.
The program is delivered through a long-running partnership between Papua New Guinea’s Legal Training Institute and the Queensland Bar, with support from Australia.
This year, 70 per cent of the trainees are women, the largest female cohort in the program’s history, and reflecting the growing role of women in PNG’s legal sector.
The training gives students opportunity to take part in a mock commercial case, from meeting a client through to court. Students work through case examples, review commercial law decisions in PNG and Australia, and practise arguing their case.
Chief Justice Sir Gibbs Salika opened the training.
“This long-term partnership between the courts of Papua New Guinea and Australia gives our emerging legal practitioners the opportunity to learn from experienced lawyers and judges, strengthen their practical advocacy skills, and represent their clients with confidence and integrity in the courtroom. This program has helped develop some of Papua New Guinea’s leading judges and lawyers, including me,” he said.
For around 14 years, the partnership between LTI and Queensland Bar has helped hundreds of PNG lawyers strengthen their practical skills and build professional links with Australian legal practitioners.
Australian Deputy High Commissioner Adrian Lochrin joined the opening session and described the cooperation between the two partners as “the best in class”.
He said the lawyers taking part in this program will go on to serve across government, business and private practice, creating impact well beyond the courtroom. This partnership reflects what Australia and Papua New Guinea can achieve when our institutions and people work together over time, sharing expertise and building enduring professional relationships.
Guided by PNG’s priorities, the partnership between Queensland Bar and LTI will continue to support future lawyers as they move from training into practice and take on roles across the country’s legal and justice system.