The 6th Pacific Prosecutors Meeting (PPA) opened in Nuku’alofa, last Thursday bringing together representatives from Pacific Island countries.
Tonga’s Acting Attorney General and Director of Public Prosecutions ‘Aminiasi Kefu said this forum allows heads of prosecuting offices to discuss important issues, including the challenges they face within their jurisdictions while sharing success stories so they learn from each other. It is important that they make a unified stand to speak with one voice to protect their role.
He said as prosecutors they are regularly under pressure from different sources to ensure justice or what others perceive as justice.
“This may come from victims, offenders, their families or villages, the media, police and even politicians.”
He said other challenges included outdated criminal legislation to be implemented, lack of resources given to police to investigate crime or lack of facility for the courts to provide justice and the emotional strain prosecutors go through in dealing with tragedies in criminal cases.
“It is a difficult role to perform but one that has to be performed in order that justice is served.”
“Despite these challenges we continue as prosecutors to persevere and one success is the establishment of this regional organisation and the formal adoption of its constitution in 2014. This is a sign that prosecuting offices in the region are mature enough to recognise we need to work together and provide support for the challenges and issues we all face,” he said.
The Minister of Justice Sione Vuna Fa’otusia in his short opening remarks said justice should be seen to be done - something they often neglect and overlook in their profession.
Attending the meeting were representatives from the Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Republic of Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, and Tonga. Prosecutors from Fiji and Niue did not attend.