As the Departmental Head, the Secretary is also the Chief Accounting Officer under (Public Finance Management Act & Public Services Management Act) and is responsible for the effective management and administration of the Department.  The support received in this capacity as Secretary is through Corporate Services Heads and Community Justice Heads for Justice Administration and Deputy Secretary (JA & SS).

In circumstance where the Minister is not a lawyer admitted to practice in Papua New Guinea then Secretary for Justice assumes the role as the Attorney General.

Through the Secretary’s Office, the Secretary directs the operations and administration of the entire department and ensures that both legal advice and Justice services are delivered to every persons, State institutional and private sector institutions in a timely and cost effective manner.

The Top Management Branch comprises the Secretary’s Office, two Deputy Secretaries, the Legal Policy and Governance Branch and the Management Services Branch. It is largely responsible for ensuring the overall efficient and effective delivery of government’s legal and justice services under the department’s Mission Statement.  In that context, cost for certain operational and management aspects of the Department have traditionally been borne by the Top Management Branch, as follows:

• Self-Accounting System
• Lawyer’s Practicing Certificates
• Library Services
• Training
• Maintenance of Assets
• Assets Replacement
• Maintenance (DOW)
• Overseas Travel
• Design and Construction.
• Devolution of Powers from the Department of Personnel Management

Under the recent restructure these have been streamlined:

• Phased implementation of the DJAG Structure overtime
• Oversee implementation of White Paper Polic

GOALS

• To protect the interest of the State through timely, correct and cost-effective legal services
• To provide timely, independent, effective and efficient prosecution services to the State
• To provide timely, available and accessible legal assistance
• To provide all members of the community with access to a community justice system and processes for settlement of disputes relating to land
• To provide transparent, timely and cost-effective trusteeship of estates of deceased and insane persons and insolvent estates
• To provide efficient and responsive law reform services
• To strengthen the department’s capacity to meet its responsibilities to the State and the people of Papua New Guinea.

Phone 301-2961
Email : lucy_sihrong@justice.gov.pg

Ms Miriam Mantu – Public Relations Manager
Phone 301-2840
Fax – 323 3661
Email: miriam_mantu@justice.gov.pg