The Papua New Guinea Centre for Judicial Excellence (PNGCJE), in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) with support from the European Union, continues to advance efforts to strengthen judicial integrity and combat corruption through the Preventing and Countering Corruption in Papua New Guinea Project (PNG Anti-Corruption Project).

The initial collaboration began in 2023 when Dr. Alma Sedlar, UNDP’s Chief Technical Advisor met with Stacey Levakia-Wali, Assistant Director for the PNGCJE and Program Officer for the Pacific Centre for Judicial Excellence (PCJE).

Since then, the partnership has grown progressively delivering several workshops annually on critical themes including anti-corruption, whistleblowers legislation, human rights, gender equality, and judicial ethics and integrity to the PNGCJE and PCJE stakeholders including Judges, Magistrates, Lawyers, Court Officers and NJSS staff.

Mrs. Levakia-Wali emphasized the regional impact of the initiative stating that the partnership not only benefits Papua New Guinea but also extends to the Pacific, with participants from across the region also attending these workshops.

“In an increasingly interconnected world, engaging with global legal issues is essential to a robust judiciary.”

Most recently, discussions have focused on the Bangalore Principles and the Judicial Code of Ethics. The current Code, endorsed in 2010, is now under review to reflect evolving challenges such as social media, artificial intelligence, and global debates on gender equality and judicial independence.

Justice John Carey, Judge Administrator for the PNGCJE has played a pivotal role in initiating this review, emphasising the judiciary’s commitment to integrity and independence.

UNDP recognizes the champions within the judiciary, such as Justice Carey and Mrs. Levakia-Wali along with their team.

UNDP and PNGCJE reaffirm their commitment continue to collaborate, ensuring that all their stakeholders across Papua New Guinea and the Pacific are well equipped to uphold integrity, independence, and public trust in the justice system.