Project Abstract

Village Courts operate in over 80% of Papua New Guinea and provide an inexpensive, readily available means by which ordinary people can seek justice. It is estimated that 13,000 officials conduct 1,100 Village Courts, hearing about half a million cases every year. They operate under the Village Courts Act 1989 (passed in 1974) and the principal purpose is to maintain harmony within the community through mediation and application of customary law. A significant impact has been the Organic Law on Provincial and Local Level governments 1995 which shifted some responsibility from the national to provincial governments.

  HITS since July 2004

What's  New

• Training Manuals for Officers and Officials posted under the documents menu on this page.
• National Government agrees to pay all outstanding allowances of Village Courts officials and and mediators.
• Consultations with key village courts officers completed to develop national information system strategy.
• Village Courts Database design improved to widen scope of M&E.
• Presentation assessment skills tool developed and accepted by village courts secretariat.
• Final report on HIV mainstreaming through Village Courts submitted to Dept of Justice, LJSP and AusAID.
• National and Provincial Officers complete 4th and last semester at Divine Word University.
• Dr. Michael Goddard on Women and Village Courts.. University of Newcastle, Australia.article
• Sarah Garap on Human Rights promotion within the PNG Village Courts system. article
• Sarah Garap CEDAW Conference speech at Holiday Inn, Port Moresby, 24-25 Nov 2005. article
•  Post Courier reviews village courts' Human Rights training. article

Key Milestones

• Disbursement of outstanding allowances commenced in priority provinces.
• Restorative Justice Forum 22-24 November 2006
• more ...