International Programs

Activities in Samoa

The Federal Court has collaborated with the Samoan judiciary since 2005 as part of the Interim Regional Judicial Development Program and extended support to the Courts of Samoa under the AusAID funded Pacific Judicial Capacity Development Program in 2012. The Court convened Commercial Case Management and Court-Annexed Mediation Workshops attended by Samoan judicial delegates. Follow-up activities were conducted in 2013 by the Deputy District Registrar of the Court, which revived the Pacific Mediation Network.

A number of activities have been held in Samoa as part of the Pacific Judicial Development Programme (PJDP), including the development of an inter-justice sector agency group, and decision-making and judgment writing workshops. Samoa underwent significant reforms in the fields of family violence and family law pursuant to the Family Law Act 2013. The Family Violence and Youth Justice Workshop was designed under the PJDP to provide training and resources in areas that would assist the judiciary to implement the new legislation and establish a specialist Family Court. Further details of activities run by the PJDP can be found on the Programme’s website.

Presenters and participants at the Family Violence and Youth Justice workshop in Samoa, October 2013