History

In 1996 the Government of Vanuatu (GoV) requested assistance from the Government of Australia (GoA) to strengthen the Vanuatu public legal sector.

In August 1999 the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) settled project design documentation with the GoV and the then named NSW Attorney General's Department was approached, due to the Department’s expertise and resources, to manage the project. Subsequently in May 2000 the Department was contracted to act as project manager for the Vanuatu Legal Sector Strenthening Program (VLSSP).

The purpose of VLSSP is to support a stable and responsive government in Vanuatu by building sustainable administrative and legal capacity within each of the three public legal offices in Vanuatu. The three offices include the State Law Office (SLO), the Public Prosecutor’s Office (PPO) and the Public Solicitor’s Office (PSO).

Phase 3 of the VLSSP ended on 30 June 2011.

The program

The purpose of the VLSSP is to support a stable and responsible government in Vanuatu by building sustainable administrative and legal capacity within each of the Public Legal Offices in Vanuatu.

In July 2000, NSWAGD undertook a Strategic Review of the Vanuatu Legal Sector that found that the legal system was under severe pressure. The three public legal offices were facing major problems in terms of resources, operational capabilities (administrative, managerial and substantive legal capacity) and coordination with other government agencies. Complexities also existed in the legal system itself due to the inherent mix of French and English laws, the interweaving of customary and western law and the relative youth of the legal system.