Excerpt from solomontimes.com
Over 15,000 people will now have access to legal information, advice and representation as the Public Solicitor’s Office (PSO) opens a branch in Marau.
The initiative was made possible through a collaboration between the Guadalcanal Provincial Government and the Access to Justice Project, which is implemented by the UN Development Programme in partnership with the Ministry of Justice and Legal Affairs and the Public Solicitor’s Office with support from the Government of Australia.
While located on the island of Guadalcanal, Marau still remains a remote area of Solomon Islands given its distance from a provincial capital, necessitating people to take long, expensive journeys to the capital to access legal services.
On August 12, the Minister of Justice and Legal Affairs, Hon. Clezy Rore officially opened the doors to the new PSO branch in Marau. In his keynote address, the Hon. Minister Rore, emphasized the close connection between accessing and securing justice and the peacebuilding process in the country.
“When we can uphold human rights, and when we are able to satisfactorily resolve issues and disputes in our communities in a timely manner, that is when we can achieve peace,” Hon. Rore said.
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