Media Release
Commencement of the Australian Pacific Judicial Partnership program
10 December 2025
The Federal Court of Australia in partnership with the Courts of 15 Pacific Island Nations is pleased to announce the commencement of the Australia Pacific Judicial Partnership (APJP) program.
The APJP is a four-year program managed by the Federal Court of Australia’s experienced International Programs Unit and supported by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The APJP will work in partnership with Pacific Island Nations’ Chief Justices and judiciary across the Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.
The APJP will support long-term regional development and deliver a coordinated package of regional, bilateral, in-person and remote activities designed to support judicial leadership along with enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of court services. The program will focus on achieving practical, relevant outcomes that are not otherwise being addressed.
Over the next four years, the APJP will co-support the annual meeting and activities of the region’s Chief Justices to assess progress, results and determine the APJPs strategic direction. It will also deliver to Chief Justices and judicial officers a series of regional workshops examining common and emerging issues, such as constitutional and high-profile litigation, gender equity, climate change and human rights, legal pluralism and customary law, and increasingly complex commercial matters.
The APJPs other strategic pillars focus on strengthening court administration, case management and promoting digital readiness. Through the provision of regional activities and tailored support to individual courts the APJP aims to promote more efficient, effective and accessible court services.
A series of targeted programs will provide mentoring opportunities for female judges and emerging leaders, strengthen pathways for women’s elevation to superior courts and provide region-wide webinars focused on reducing gendered barriers. The APJP will also support the annual meeting of the Pacific Association of Women Judicial Officers.
A small grant facility of up to $20,000 per country will be established to assist partners design and implement local activities that reflect the regional solutions identified throughout the program.
Contributing to the APJP’s objectives the Federal Court will provide expert judges, registrars and senior staff, in addition to their judicial and court related workloads, highlighting the Court’s long-standing partnership with Pacific judiciaries and reflecting a shared commitment to strengthening justice systems across the region.
Given its strong and enduring relationships with Pacific Courts and its significant and broad spheres of expertise, the Federal Court is uniquely positioned to support and contribute to the APJP objectives having already actively collaborated with many superior courts around the world, particularly across Southeast Asia and the Pacific.
