AG, DPP and gov’t lawyers attend Pacific Law Officers’ Meeting in Tuvavlu

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A delegation from the Solomon Islands Ministry of Justice and Legal Affairs attended the 45th Pacific Islands Law Officers’ Network (PILON) Annual Meeting in Funafuti, Tuvalu, from 12 to 15 October 2026.

The meeting was co-hosted by the Office of the Attorney General of Tuvalu and the Australian Attorney-General’s Department, bringing together senior law and justice officials from across the Pacific to discuss shared legal and policy challenges.

Discussions covered cybercrime, corruption, transnational crimes, including drug smuggling, sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), legislative drafting, constitutional reform and regional legal cooperation.

The Solomon Islands delegation was led by Attorney General Gabriel Suri and included representatives from the Attorney General’s Chambers, Legislative Drafting Division, Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, Office of the Public Solicitor and Solomon Islands Law Reform Commission.

Other delegates were Director of Public Prosecutions Andrew Kelesi; Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Olivia T. Ratu; Witness Support Officer Hellen Bennett; Deputy Legislative Drafter Florence Tagini; Senior Legal Officers Sylvia Pitamama and Ricardo Vatia from the Public Solicitor’s Office; and Chief Legal Officer Zaneta Kafa from the Law Reform Commission.

The meeting provided an opportunity for the Solomon Islands delegation to exchange experiences with regional counterparts, learn from best practices and contribute to discussions aimed at strengthening legal institutions and justice systems across the Pacific.

Solomon Islands will host the 46th PILON Annual Meeting in 2027 and has also assumed the chair of PILON’s Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Working Group, one of the network’s five working groups.

These responsibilities highlight the country’s growing role in regional legal cooperation and efforts to address sexual and gender-based violence.

Attorney General Suri welcomed the outcomes of the meeting and thanked the Government and people of Tuvalu for hosting the annual gathering.

He said Solomon Islands looked forward to hosting the 2027 meeting, reaffirming the country’s commitment to strengthening regional legal cooperation and advancing justice sector development across the Pacific.

ENDS