The Papua New Guinea Centre for Judicial Excellence in conjunction with the Commonwealth Secretariat, hosted a two-day symposium on Cybercrime and Electronic Evidence at the Hilton Hotel in Port Moresby. The symposium was attended by judges and magistrates from provincial National and District Courts, who learned about the key aspects of dealing with cybercrime cases and electronic evidence.

The symposium featured various sessions delivered by judges and international legal experts in the field of cybercrime and electronic evidence. The sessions covered the following topics:

• an overview of cybercrime and cybersecurity, including the types, trends, and challenges of cyber threats;

• international cybercrime law landscape and the emerging technologies that affect it, such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, and cloud computing;

• Cybercrime offences and procedural powers, such as the legal definitions, classifications, and sanctions of cybercrimes, and the investigative and prosecutorial tools and techniques; and

• domestic cybercrime and electronic evidence law and practice, such as the applicable laws, regulations, and guidelines, and the best practices for collecting, preserving, and presenting electronic evidence.

The program also included a session on international cooperation in cybercrime and cybersecurity, both formal and informal, such as the existing frameworks, mechanisms, and challenges for cross-border collaboration and mutual legal assistance.

The overall aim of the Cybercrime and Electronic Evidence symposium was to enhance the Courts’ capacity to handle cyber-related legal matters effectively and efficiently. It also reflected the recognition that cybercrime is a global problem that requires specialized knowledge and skills from legal professionals.

The symposium was funded and co-facilitated by UK International Development, The Commonwealth Secretariat, and the PNG Judiciary.