Village courts set for major change as Bougainville prepares new system

A new training for magistrates, clerks and peace officers is underway in Arawa as Bougainville prepares to bring its Community Court system into operation.

The training is being held by the Community Court and Land Mediation Directorate under the Department of Justice and Legal Services, ahead of the Bougainville Community Court Act 2024 coming into force.

For officials who have worked under the Village Court system, the training is an important step as they prepare for their new roles under the Community Court.

Bougainville now has the Bougainville Court and the Bougainville Community Court, after the system was passed by the House of Representatives in 2024.

This gives Bougainville its own court system, separate from Papua New Guinea.

Over the past few years, officials from Bougainville, the PNG Department of Justice and Attorney General, the Australia-Papua New Guinea Law and Justice Partnership Program [APLJ], and the PNG Department of Justice and Attorney General have been working on the transfer of functions and personnel from the Village Courts to the new Community Courts.

The first region-wide training is now taking place in Arawa for officials from Central Bougainville.

It was opened by Secretary for the Department of Justice and Legal Services, Leontine Ivano, alongside Central Bougainville Law and Justice Sector Coordinator Dennis Kuiai and Central District Coordinator Tonny Moera.

Micah Forukave from the Directorate of Community Court and Land Mediation says the training is important before the new law comes into operation.

He says officials need to understand their new roles and responsibilities, including their powers and limits, which will be different from the Village Court system.

APLJ Advisor Benjamin Bofeng is facilitating the training with staff from the Directorate of Community Court and Land Mediation.

The Bougainville Community Court Act is expected to come into operation in September once it is formally gazetted and endorsed.

There are currently 46 Village Courts across Bougainville, which will become Community Courts once the new law comes into operation.

The number of Community Courts is also expected to increase to make the local courts more accessible to people across Bougainville.